This week, the Global Light of Myanmar, the mouthpiece publication of the junta that seized control of Burma, referred to the pro-democracy resistance as terrorists, as they always do. They also lambasted Timor-Leste, a small Southeast Asian nation, for accepting a criminal complaint filed by the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) that accuses junta leaders, including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The complaint includes evidence of massacres, airstrikes on hospitals, and sexual violence.

The Global Light of Myanmar wrote, “Timor Leste’s leaders have cavorted with terrorists who have butchered and seek to kill Myanmar citizens further. Its President, Jose Ramos Horta, has disgustingly validated representatives of a group of terrorist grifters and philanderers now sliding into irrelevance with each passing day.”

The same junta leaders accused of war crimes expelled Timor-Leste’s ambassador.

Also this week, Burma resistance soldiers continued to fight while horribly outgunned by the junta’s drones and aircraft and suffering from a severe lack of munitions. The Free Burma Rangers just came off several weeks of frontline medic work at a battle in Karen State, where they treated more than one hundred wounded. This morning, I saw two soldiers with prosthetic legs heading back into action. The people’s will has not been broken. As one resistance fighter put it, “We will not stop until Burma is free.”

Several Gateway Pundit readers have asked why I always refer to the country as Burma rather than Myanmar. The short answer is that I call it Burma because much of the resistance and the Free Burma Rangers call it Burma. Conversely, organizations or institutions using the name Myanmar, such as The Global Light of Myanmar, are linked to the junta.

For generations, the country was known as Burma, named after the dominant Burman ethnic group. In 1989, a year after violently crushing a pro-democracy uprising, the State Law and Order Restoration Council, the ruling military junta, changed the English name to Myanmar. The generals claimed they were discarding a colonial-era name and promoting ethnic unity, arguing that “Burma” excluded minority groups.

In the Burmese language, however, Myanmar is simply the more formal version of Burma, and the change applies only in English. Because the decision was made by military decree rather than through a public referendum or an act of parliament, opposition groups argue it is illegal. By saying “Burma,” they signal that the military’s laws and decrees are invalid.

For decades, the name Burma has functioned as a linguistic act of defiance against the generals. Aung San Suu Kyi for years preferred “Burma” for the same reason, as it represented the country before the military rewrote its identity.

Over the years, several anti-junta armed groups have even included Burma in their names. The All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF) was formed after the 1988 student uprisings and remains one of the most well-known “Burma”-named groups, made up of students who fled to the jungles to take up arms against the military.

The Burma National Revolutionary Army (BNRA) is a more recent coalition of various resistance forces, including People’s Defense Forces (PDFs), that deliberately chose the name Burma to signal its rejection of the junta’s Myanmar identity.

The National Unity Government (NUG) and its armed wing, the People’s Defense Force (PDF), use Myanmar in their formal titles. However, many local units and related legislation, such as the U.S.-backed BURMA Act, continue to use the name Burma to denote the struggle for democracy.

The issue is no longer as clear-cut as it once was. While Aung San Suu Kyi and many pro-democracy forces continue to use the term Burma, a number of ethnic armed groups have shifted toward calling the country Myanmar. Their argument is that the name Burma references the Burman ethnic majority.

This is significant because much of the ethnic resistance stems from decades of exclusion from political power and abuses carried out by Burman-dominated governments. Many now argue that the ruling authorities should be referred to simply as “the military,” while the country itself should be called Myanmar as a sign of inclusion for all 135 recognized ethnic groups.

Many governments and organizations globally rejected the new name as a symbolic attempt by the junta to gain legitimacy. Unfortunately, a number of countries and media outlets, including The Associated Press, began using Myanmar.

The United States, however, continued to officially use Burma. Even so, the stance softened over time. During a 2012 visit, President Barack Obama used both names, which an adviser to Myanmar’s president described as “very positive” and an “acknowledgement of Myanmar’s government.”

The post Why Some Call the Country Burma Rather Than Myanmar appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

A Liberian national has been arrested after spending over a decade masquerading as a U.S. citizen, even going so far as to join the military and work as a law enforcement officer.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 45-year-old Liberian national Morris Brown was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Minneapolis on January 15 following an extensive federal investigation tied to Operation Twin Shield.

Federal authorities say Brown last entered the United States legally in 2014 on a nonimmigrant student visa, but that visa was terminated the following year after he failed to enroll in a full course of academic study, placing him out of lawful status.

Instead of departing the country as required by law, DHS officials allege Brown embarked on what U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow described as a decade-long scheme of deception.

“Operation Twin Shield continues to deliver results as the Department of Homeland Security relentlessly pursues those who seek to cheat our immigration system,” said USCIS Director Joseph Edlow.

“This alien tried every trick in the book to remain in the United States after losing legal status. We will use every tool at our disposal to ensure he faces justice for his many violations of the law.”

Even more alarming, federal officials say Brown enlisted in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in 2014, despite not having legal immigration status, and subsequently went AWOL the following year.

He was eventually taken into custody and discharged from military service in 2022 under “other than honorable conditions,” according to DHS.

Yet, two years after that discharge, Brown allegedly attempted to naturalize as a U.S. citizen based on his prior military service, an application DHS described as “another commission of fraud.”

In 2020, Brown reportedly applied for lawful permanent residency under the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) program. USCIS denied the application after investigators uncovered multiple alleged misrepresentations, including:

• Failure to disclose prior military service
• False claims to U.S. citizenship
• Inconsistent identity documentation

Investigators also uncovered evidence of suspected marriage fraud and additional instances where Brown allegedly claimed U.S. citizenship on official government forms.

Perhaps most troubling, Operation Twin Shield investigators discovered that Brown had been employed as a Minnesota corrections officer from May 2023 until October 2024, despite allegedly lacking any legal immigration status in the United States.

According to DHS, Brown secured the position by falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen during the hiring process.

The Minnesota Department of Corrections confirmed it is cooperating with federal authorities and stated that it followed federal document verification requirements at the time of Brown’s hiring.

“If these federal allegations are accurate, this individual engaged in sophisticated efforts to misrepresent their identity, extending well beyond Minnesota,” said DOC Commissioner Paul Schnell. “We are grateful to USCIS and ICE for their work in investigating and addressing immigration fraud.”

According to CBS News, Brown is now being held at an immigration detention facility in El Paso, Texas. He faces removal proceedings and potential criminal prosecution for:

• Immigration fraud
• False claims to U.S. citizenship
• Visa overstay violations
• Other related federal offenses

The post SHOCKING: Liberian Illegal Alien Infiltrates U.S. National Guard and Minnesota Prison System After Overstaying Visa—Arrested Following Decade of Fraud appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

In yet another reckless move by the far-left Liberal government, Canada is now throwing open the doors of its military to foreign nationals, offering them a fast-track path to permanent residency.

Under Prime Minister Mark Carney’s regime, skilled immigrants from around the world can now snag jobs in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) as doctors, nurses, or even pilots, and get expedited immigration status in return.

Additional reporting indicates applicants may be required to:

• Have extensive prior service in a recognized foreign military
• Secure a multi-year CAF job offer
• Possess post-secondary credentials before being admitted under the program.

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced this disastrous policy on Wednesday, touting it as a way to “attract highly skilled foreign military applicants” and “strengthen our armed forces.”

“Finally, we are creating a new category for skilled military recruits to attract highly skilled foreign military applicants. Eligible recruits with a job offer from the Canadian Armed Forces, including doctors, nurses, and pilots, can be invited to apply for permanent residence.

“They will be subject to the same security and military requirements. This new category will support our government’s commitment to strengthen our armed forces, defend our sovereignty, and keep Canadians safe.”

WATCH:

This newly established immigration stream is designed explicitly to attract foreign military talent into Canada’s ranks as the Trudeau-aligned Liberal government pushes to “strengthen” its armed forces.

More from ICC Immigration:

Its flagship Express Entry permanent residency system will prioritize applicants under three new occupation-based categories as part of a broader shift toward targeted, labor-market-driven immigration selection.

Applicants may now receive priority invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence if they fall under:

1. Researchers and Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience

   • Targets innovation-sector talent and experienced leadership capable of contributing immediately to economic growth.

2. Transport Occupations

   • Includes high-demand roles such as:

     • Commercial pilots

     • Aircraft mechanics

     • Aviation inspectors

   • Designed to address workforce shortages in Canada’s transportation and logistics infrastructure.

3. Highly Skilled Military Personnel

   • Foreign nationals recruited by the Canadian Armed Forces in specialized roles such as:

     • Military doctors

     • Nurses

     • Pilots

   • Eligible candidates must meet standard security screening and military recruitment requirements.

The post WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Canada’s Liberal Government Opens Military Ranks to Foreign Nationals for Fast-Track Immigration appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

On Wednesday, 550 CDL truck driving schools and training facilities were found in violation of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) standards.

These sham organizations received notices that they are to be removed from the registry of federally authorized truck driver training providers. Thousands more have been removed over the last couple of months.

Sean P. Duffy, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, was sworn into office by Trump in January, 2025. Over the last few months, Duffy has launched a serious crackdown across the country on CDL training mills (sham truck driving schools) and noncompliant training programs.

Over a recent 5-day period, FMCSA sent over 300 investigators to 50 states.

They conducted 1,426 on-site sting investigations of driver training providers (schools).

Some of these locations even previously trained school bus drivers. Here are the results of that 5-day sting.

• 448 truck driving schools were removed for failing to meet basic safety standards.
• 109 training providers voluntarily shut down their businesses after learning of these investigations.

Two months ago, the FMCSA removed nearly 3,000 CDL training providers from their Training Provider Registry (TPR).

However, most of those schools were idle, so it won’t likely have much impact on keeping unqualified truck drivers off our roads.

The Registry website shows the location of training schools in your area, the removed schools, how to file complaints, and so on.

This past December, 4,000 providers were placed on notice for noncompliance with the new ELDT training standards.

In February 2022, the federal government (FMCSA) established a single, national training standard for obtaining a CDL truck driver’s license.

The ELDT training must be completed before entry-level truck drivers can take skills and knowledge tests, and obtain that valuable CDL license.

In 2021, Congress mandated the ELDT program. However, cach State was responsible for providing its own training requirements. That ended with the 2022 rule change.

The new ELDT training requirements aren’t just for truck drivers. The standards require specific training for bus drivers and those transporting hazardous materials too.

The new ELDT curriculum includes theory (classroom & online instruction) and behind-the-wheel (BTW) training. Theory classroom training covers things like trip planning, medical requirements, drug testing, vehicle safety, and so on.

The entire program has 5 areas of instruction: Basic Operation, Safe Operating Procedures, Advanced Operating Practices, Systems & Reporting Malfunctions, and Non-Driving Activities.

Some of the violations from the recent 5-day sting include:

• Unqualified Instructors: Many teachers didn’t even have a CDL license themselves for the vehicles they were teaching students to drive.
• Wrong Vehicles: Schools were using the wrong vehicles. The trucks didn’t match the training offered.
• Incomplete Assessments: Schools failed to test students on basic requirements.
• State Non-Compliance: Many admitted to investigators that their curriculum didn’t even meet their own state’s requirements.
• Active Investigations: 97 schools remain under investigation for compliance issues.

After hearing about these 550 school removals, the American Trucking Association posted a press release stating: “ATA Applauds USDOT’s Continued Crackdown on CDL Mills, and made the following public statement.

“We commend the Trump Administration for taking decisive action to strengthen the integrity of our commercial driver training system and reinforce its commitment to safer roads. 

“The proposed removal or voluntary withdrawal of more than 550 CDL training providers from the national Training Provider Registry makes clear there is no place in trucking for sham schools that fail to meet federal requirements.  

“Our industry depends on safe, skilled, and well-trained drivers. That begins with training providers that meet and uphold rigorous federal curriculum and qualification standards. We support strong oversight, including random audits across the states, to ensure compliance and protect the integrity of the driver pipeline. The more than 1,400 on-site investigations FMCSA conducted nationwide as part of this operation demonstrates its ongoing willingness to weed out bad actors. 

“Combined with enforcing federal driver qualification standards and maintaining consistent compliance reviews, these steps are critical to strengthening the CDL system and ensuring every driver who gets behind the wheel is well prepared to operate safely.” 

The CDL (Commercial Driver License) originated from the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986. The new federally mandated ELDT rule was supposed to ensure all CDL drivers obtain high-quality instruction from approved providers. It’s supposed to produce safer, more knowledgeable drivers for our roadways.

The post 7,000 CDL Truck Driving Schools Removed or Given Noncompliance Notices In Last 60 Days — 5-Day Sting Finds Another 550 appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Far-left Whoopi Goldberg was finally forced this week to address the growing controversy surrounding her name appearing in newly released DOJ documents tied to disgraced child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Before her name surfaced, The View hosts were loudly demanding the full release of the Epstein Files, now they’re suddenly suggesting that maybe not everyone named in those documents is actually guilty.

WATCH:

“The View” before and after they found out Whoopi’s name was on the list. pic.twitter.com/ER8Hip4eLb

— Ames (@Real_Ames) February 19, 2026

The latest batch of Epstein documents, unsealed by the Department of Justice, includes a May 8, 2013, email from a redacted sender to Epstein.

The message details arrangements for Goldberg to attend a charity event hosted by Julian Lennon’s White Feather Foundation in Monaco.

It reads: “Whoopi needs a plane to get to Monaco. John Lennon’s charity is paying for it… They don’t want to charter, so they are looking for private owners.” Epstein’s curt reply was “no thnaks,” indicating he passed on offering his Gulfstream II jet.

On Tuesday’s broadcast, a visibly defensive Goldberg attempted to get ahead of the brewing storm.

“In the name of transparency, my name is in the files. Yes!”

But Goldberg quickly moved to contain the political fallout, insisting that simply being named in documents connected to Epstein does not equate to guilt or involvement in criminal activity.

“I wasn’t his girlfriend. I wasn’t his friend,” she said, adding, “I was not only too old, but it was at a time… you used to have to have facts before you said stuff.”

She lamented being “dragged” by online critics who assume guilt by association, claiming, “People actually believe that I was with him… no, I didn’t get on the plane.”

WATCH:

Behar appeared to echo a similar line of defense, brushing off concerns during a panel discussion.

Behar suggested that, well, maybe not everyone in the Epstein Files is guilty after realizing that her co-host’s name and Democrat elites appear in the documents.

Joy Behar: “We’re on the list because we were at a party or a wedding or something that somebody might have been at—that’s what I found out, anyway. This guy was at Trump’s wedding to Marla. Maybe Epstein was there, too. Who knows? That means that I’m not guilty, obviously. But these other ones—how are you going to decide who’s really guilty and who’s not? It’s very tricky.”

WATCH:

The post WHOOPS! Whoopi Goldberg Breaks Silence After Her Name Surfaces in Epstein Files — Claims Being Listed “Does Not Mean Guilt” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.