Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is planning to introduce 64 million male mosquitoes, which have been infected with bacteria, into the states of Florida and California.

Could this initiative go awry?

There is potential for complications.

As part of the Debug Project, Verily—Alphabet’s life sciences branch—intends to release a large number of male mosquitoes treated with Wolbachia bacteria. The goal is for these sterilized insects to mate with female mosquitoes, thereby decreasing the population of these pests that carry the West Nile Virus.

This approach is essentially “insect birth control,” as explained by Dr. Laura C. Harrington, a biologist at the CDC who is an expert in mosquito behavior and reproductive patterns.

Sounds great. What’s the catch?

Well, says Dr Harrington, ‘I am concerned about manipulating the genetics in the environment.’

Sounds bad… go on.

Google’s parent company is seeking to release 64 million, bacteria-infected, male mosquitoes into Florida and California. What can possibly go wrong? 

‘In another Culvex species [aka the typical house mosquito], there have been a couple of lab studies where they’ve shown infection with this type of bacteria enhances virus transmission,’ she said.

The italics are mine, as is the paralyzing fear and skepticism about one of the world’s largest tech companies monkeying around with Mother Nature and potentially producing flying monsters with super-charged West Nile.

To calm my nerves, I reached out to my favorite congressional conspiracy theorist, Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett.

He didn’t hold back. ‘Anytime we upset God’s plan it backfires on us. And we just never learn our lesson. We play God and we pull back a nub,’ he said.

Burchett went on to describe various ‘well-intentioned’ biological experiments that failed spectacularly, like the introduction of kudzu – a nutrient rich fast-growing vine – in the late 1800’s that was supposed to feed cattle and prevent erosion. One hundred and fifty years later, this invasive species is known as ‘the vine that ate the south’ after blighting massive swaths of once beautiful farmland.

Then, Burchett gave me meat-sweats by telling me about a tick that makes humans allergic to meat. It’s called the Lone Star tick (I had to Google it) and it can carry the Alpha-gal Syndrome which causes hypersensitivity to the sugar molecules found in beef, pork, lamb and venison.

Burchett (who, mind you, has appeared in the documentary American Sasquatch: Man, Myth or Monster) blames all of it on ‘the one world government crowd’ whose profit motive for shutting down meat consumption stems, he alleges, from being in the business of ‘producing artificial beef.’

Man, I started out today worrying about angry mosquitoes and now I’m obsessed with meat-ticks who are about to squash my ribeye mojo.

As Burchett aptly put it, ‘We should’ve learned our lesson under Covid.’ We should’ve learned our lesson by watching The Island of Dr. Moreau!

‘Anytime we upset God’s plan it backfires on us. And we just never learn our lesson: We play God and we pull back a nub,’ said Burchett

To be fair, Dr Harrington said that she doesn’t suspect Alphabet of doing anything ‘sinister’ or ‘dangerous,’ but she warned, ‘no matter what we do it seems like Mother Nature always has the upper hand.’

‘Even though we’ve been studying [mosquitos] for a long time, there’s a lot we don’t know about the males,’ Dr Harrington explained. ‘I’m a specialist in their mating interactions and the males have been ignored for a long time because they don’t blood feed, they don’t bite, and so we don’t know a lot about them.’

‘We don’t really know what an optimal diet is, or what they actually consume in nature on a regular basis, as far as nutrients.’

I’m starting to get a very bad feeling.

Bruchett told me that only one man can stop this experiment and that’s Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin.

‘I have a lot of faith in Lee Zeldin. He is incredibly brave and he’s smart,’ said Burchett.

I, for one, hope he has a giant canister of Raid to go along with that whoop-ass!

Not a virgin

The Material Granny hazarded a wardrobe function at a surprise Pride concert held three stories above Times Square on Thursday.

The crowd gasped as Madonna, 67 – sporting some questionable lingerie – tried to hoist her creaky bones over a flimsy plexiglass barricade.

Like a prayer, Madge – and thousands of virgin eyes – were spared.

The Material Granny hazarded a wardrobe function at a surprise Pride concert held three stories above Times Square on Thursday

Wackos of the world, unite!

Candace Owens, Andrew Tate and Steven Seagal are some of unsavory attendees of Russia’s ‘Davos,’aka the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, this week.

Antisemites, misogynists and alleged rapists.

With comrades like these, who needs enemies?

Sponsored by…

Tennis fans will be seeing a lot less of Serena Williams when she busts out of retirement next week at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club in London.

The lady legend’s chiseled new look is brought to you by a GLP-1 brand backed by her tech-savvy husband.

That’s what I call product placement.

The lady legend’s chiseled new look is brought to you by a GLP-1 brand backed by her tech-savvy husband (Pictured: Serena Williams at the Met Gala in May)

Candace Owens, Andrew Tate and Steven Seagal are some of unsavory attendees of Russia’s ‘Davos,’ aka the St. Petersburg Economic Forum (Pictured: Owens and Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Russia in St Petersburg on June 5)

Mr Whiskers

Trump’s cranky ex-national security adviser John Bolton has pleaded guilty to a charge of illegally possessing classified documents.

The 77-year-old hawk will pay a $2 million fine as part of his punishment.

I wonder where the war-happy walrus hid those secret papers… in his voluminous mustache?

Creepy mom alert!

Jason Biggs’ soon-to-be ex-wife Jenny Mollen wins for most vomitous celebrity post of the year, after posting pictures of her lying on top of their 12-year-old son, with his legs splayed open.

‘Your eldest son will be the most toxic guy you ever date,’ she wrote.

Huh, I wonder why Biggs and Jenny couldn’t work things out?

Jason Biggs’ soon-to-be ex-wife Jenny Mollen wins for most vomitous celebrity post of the year

Trump’s cranky ex-national security adviser John Bolton has pleaded guilty to a charge of illegally possessing classified documents

The Obamalisk

President Obama’s unsightly $850 million monument to himself is finally opening on Chicago’s South Side after nearly a decade of construction.

But it’s an ugly hunk of concrete that’s being compared to a Klingon prison.

That’s good, because someone should find the architects… and lock them up!

President Obama’s unsightly $850 million monument to himself is finally opening on Chicago’s South Side after nearly a decade of construction

Birdbrains

Hundreds of Black Crowes fans just got up and left the band’s Tampa concert after singer Chris Robinson shutdown chants of ‘USA! USA!’

‘Thanks for the geography lesson,’ Robinson mocked, before adding, ‘I don’t know what you have to be so proud of right now.’

Hey, Chris. You’d fit in great at the Russian Davos.

Sometimes, appearances can be deceiving.

Across the United States, people are shedding pounds more rapidly than ever before, thanks to popular obesity medications such as Wegovy and Zepbound. Currently, about one in eight American adults are using these GLP-1 drugs to help them lose weight.

However, some individuals are experiencing an unexpected psychological effect alongside their physical transformation.

This phenomenon has been dubbed “ghost fat” by experts. It describes a situation where individuals who have lost a considerable amount of weight still perceive themselves as being larger than their current size.

This is somewhat similar to phantom limb syndrome, where individuals experience the sensation that an amputated limb is still present, functioning, and sometimes even in pain.

At its core, ghost fat reflects a disconnect between the brain and the body. A person’s internal self-image — shaped by years of emotional memories, body dissatisfaction, trauma, stigma and other factors — can lag behind physical reality.

“We see this not only with weight loss but with other body-altering procedures. It takes the brain time to catch up to the new appearance,” Dr. David Sarwer, director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University’s Barnett College of Public Health, told Medscape. 

“In rhinoplasty, for example, it may take patients a while before they become accustomed to looking at their new face in the mirror after decades of looking at a more prominent nose.”

Researchers believe ghost fat may be more prevalent among people who lose weight rapidly, like through bariatric surgery or GLP-1s, compared with those who slim down more gradually.

One study of 40 women who were 18 to 30 months post-bariatric surgery found that nearly two-thirds still perceived themselves as obese despite having lost a substantial amount of weight.

That disconnect can affect behavior in surprising ways.

Someone struggling with ghost fat might automatically reach for a larger clothing size than they need or choose a wider seat out of habit. They may also instinctively turn sideways when walking through tight spaces, even when there’s plenty of room.

Others continue avoiding mirrors or photographs, conditioned by years of dissatisfaction with their appearance.

The feeling of still being in a larger body despite significant weight loss can take a real emotional toll, fueling low self-esteem, anxiety, depression and a sense of disconnect from one’s own self-image.

For some, it leads to social withdrawal. Others become preoccupied with their appearance, constantly checking the mirror or seeking reassurance from those around them.

Adding another layer of complexity, many people who lose a significant amount of weight are left with loose, sagging skin. Those folds can look and move in ways that closely resemble body fat, making it difficult for some to recognize just how much their bodies have changed.

Fortunately, in most cases, the brain eventually catches up, and a person’s self-image begins to align with their new physical reality.

Experts say several strategies may help speed the process along.

“For my weight-loss patients, I have started to recommend cognitive behavior therapy,” Dr. Fred Pescatore, a physician who has experienced ghost fat himself, told First For Women. 

“I truly believe this can help them navigate their ‘new world.’ They have to learn to align their inner thoughts with their body image,” he continued. “It takes time to overcome the stigma of your weight.”

Mindfulness practices such as meditation, body scans and breathing exercises may also help people pull themselves out of their heads and reconnect with their physical selves.

Experts also recommend shifting attention away from appearance and the number on the scale.

Instead of focusing solely on how you look, it can be helpful to celebrate achievements that reflect improved health and fitness — whether that’s climbing a flight of stairs without getting winded or lowering your cholesterol levels.

For some people, the solution can be surprisingly simple: spend more time looking in the mirror.

Take Sandra, a GLP-1 user who lost 41 pounds over six months but continued seeing her pre-weight-loss body staring back at her.

Normally, she avoided her reflection. But for one week, she challenged herself to stop and really look.

The exercise initially made her anxious. By the end of the week, however, she said she was already beginning to feel more comfortable in her new shape.

“It’s not that I forgot what my previous body looked like,” she told Psychology Today. “It’s more like I finally started seeing what felt like me in the mirror instead of a stranger.”

On Friday, Raúl Castro appeared in public for the first time since facing murder charges brought by the Trump administration. These charges relate to the downing of planes operated by a Cuban exile group back in 1996.

Castro was seen on state television during a celebration held by the Interior Ministry in Havana, as reported by Reuters.

This public appearance follows the Department of Justice’s decision to unseal an indictment against Castro. The indictment accuses him of being involved in the downing of two aircraft nearly three decades ago, which were operated by the Miami-based organization Brothers to the Rescue.

The charges against Castro include conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder.

Raul Castro waves a Cuban national flag during a May Day parade at Revolution Square in Havana, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Castro, who turned 95 on Wednesday, was last seen publicly during May Day celebrations in Havana, days before the indictment was unsealed.

Prior to his May Day appearance, Castro had remained out of public view for months, appearing only at a public ceremony in Cuba’s capital in January honoring 32 Cuban soldiers killed during the U.S. military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The indictment centers on a February 1996 incident in which Cuban military aircraft allegedly shot down two unarmed civilian planes operated by Brothers to the Rescue, killing four men: Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña and Pablo Morales.

Fidel Castro and his brother Raul Castro attend a parade in Havana, Cuba, on Dec. 2, 1996. (Sven Creutzmann/Mambo Photography/Getty Images)

Prosecutors allege the aircraft were flying outside Cuban territory when they were destroyed.

The indictment came amid rising tensions in the Caribbean and a series of comments from Trump and his surrogates hinting at possible regime change in the island nation.

President Donald Trump previously praised the indictment, saying Cuban Americans whose families suffered under the communist regime had waited decades for accountability.

Former Cuban Vice President Jose Machado and dictator Raul Castro are seen in Cuba. (Yamil Lage/Getty Images)

“We have big news on Cuba, as you know, with the indictment of Castro,” Trump said. “A lot of people have suffered very big, very, very, at levels that few people would understand.”

Trump also suggested tensions with Cuba would not escalate following the indictment.

“There won’t be escalation,” he said. “We won’t have to.”

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and former Cuban leader Raul Castro stand together at an event. (Ismael Francisco/Cubadebate/AP:Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images)

Still, the decision to indict Castro fueled comparisons to the pressure campaign Trump previously used against Maduro.

“At the very least, it means symbolically that he is now set up just as Nicolás Maduro was,” Christine Balling, a Cuba expert at the Institute of World Politics and former advisor to U.S. Special Operations Command South, previously told News Media.

The U.S. indicted Maduro on narco-terrorism charges while tightening sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector, backing opposition efforts to remove him from power and increasing military operations in the Caribbean.

“I don’t think that we are necessarily going to conduct the same operation,” Balling said. “Raúl Castro is 94 years old. It might not be worth the trouble.”

Still, Balling argued that the indictment sent “a very straightforward message that we are 100% behind the fall of the Castro regime.”

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Dua Lipa has allegedly compensated Palermo residents with £5,000 following a wave of discontent over the city’s temporary closure due to her extravagant wedding celebrations. Locals expressed their frustration with graffiti, targeting the lavish event.

The pop sensation, 30, is tying the knot with actor Callum Turner, 36, in a lavish ceremony set against the picturesque backdrop of Italy. The three-day celebration kicked off with a glamorous cocktail party at the historic Palazzo Valguarnera Gangi.

Residents of Palermo have been vocal about their disapproval, with graffiti appearing throughout the city, as reported by the Daily Mail. This act of protest underscores the disruption experienced by the locals.

According to recent reports, Dua has offered a £5,000 payment to residents as compensation, particularly to those living in apartments that face areas designated for additional wedding parking.

During the Friday night welcome party, the Daily Mail observed vulgar graffiti scrawled on a marble column in the square, highlighting the tension between the event and the local community.

Dua Lipa has reportedly paid out £5,000 to residents in Palermo – after furious locals protested the city’s shut-down with graffiti on her lavish wedding weekend

Locals have made their feelings known, with the Daily Mail spotting various graffiti around the city this weekend

A source told The Sun: ‘It doesn’t really match the idyllic love story vibe that Dua seems to be going for.’

A representative for Dua Lipa has been contacted by The Daily Mail for comment.  

Another message was sprayed near the Piazza Croce dei Vesper square, which read: ‘Palermo is not for rent.’ It was soon painted over.

Just before 5.30pm crowds who had gathered in Piazza Sant Anna to watch arrivals of the cocktail party were left disappointed when police moved them on.

One disgruntled local said: ‘It all seems a bit over the top. We just wanted to see Dua Lipa and wish her well, but police have moved told us to leave.’

The piazza was decorated with a classic Mercedes, Alfa Romeo Giulietta and a Fiat 128 and on top of the last car was a plate of courgettes, tomatoes, cherries and fava beans.

There was also an outdoor cocktail bar decorated with antique mirrors and prints of traditional Sicilian scenes and books on shelves.

Some local businesses are angry that they have had to close up early on a Friday evening – one of the most popular nights for going out in Palermo which has also become a magnet for British tourists in recent years.

The Galleria Moderna opposite the square closed to the public at 2pm on Friday as it will also host part of the celebrations and was reportedly hired out for £10,000.

Metal crush barriers have also been put up to allow a sterile area for VIPs attending the wedding to arrive by car unseen.

Celebrations kicked off Thursday night with an outdoor cocktail party at the Villa Igiea hotel where Dua, Callum and the majority of guests were staying.

The singer, 30, is set to wed actor Callum Turner, 36, on Saturday as part of a three-day Italian extravaganza which began with a cocktail party at Palazzo Valguarnera Gangi 

The graffiti was later painted over by staff, well before Dua, Callum and their guests made their arrival for the first night of celebrations which consisted of a cocktail party

Locals have erected posters in protest after parts of the city has been all but shut down for the big day

A side street leading to the square has been blocked off from prying eyes with a huge black screen

That evening, thick set security teams with black T shirts and impressive tattoos were patrolling the square keeping an eye on passersby and the media.

In an interview with local paper La Republica, Palermo’s mayor Roberto Lagalla expressed his delight at Dua and Callum choosing the city for their celebrations.

Highlighting how the couple had visited last year on holiday and fallen in love with the city, he said: ‘The fact that a world class artist like Dua Lipa chose Palermo to celebrate her wedding and did so just a year after her previous visit, confirms how attractive the city is today on an international level.’

Then responding to reports of grumbling locals he added: ‘I understand the inconvenience caused by events of this magnitude, and I’m sorry if anyone will have to face temporary restrictions.

‘We know that extraordinary events can leave some people unhappy because of their exceptional nature, these are limited time events.

‘All the measures adopted were designed primarily to ensure the safety of those involved and the public.

‘We must not forget the image boost Palermo receives from occasions like this. The international visibility generated by events of this magnitude helps strengthen the city’s attractiveness and generate widespread economic benefits.’

Police and security have been preparing to throw a ‘ring of steel’ around Piazza Santa Anna and Piazza Croce dei Vespri in Palermo from Thursday to Saturday.

However, officials are said to have put out a vague notice claiming there will be a ‘demonstration production’ instead of confirming the wedding.

Residents in Palermo are said to be split over the disruption in the area, with some cheekily asking if Dua would put on a free concert on the beach in return. 

Dua and Callum touched down in Sicily on Thursday ahead of their big day, with the couple unwinding at the £6,000-a-night Villa Igiea Hotel.

No expense has been spared, with the pair said to have booked an entire floor of suites at the hotel overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. 

A further 10,000 Euros has been paid to the local council at Bagheria where another reception will be held at the Villa Valguarnera on Saturday at which Elton John is rumoured to be playing a set.

More than 50 bodyguards have been drafted in from Rome and London to provide security for the event and streets around the Villa Valguarnera have also been closed much to the annoyance of local businesses.

One cafe opposite said: ‘I’m delighted they are getting married but for us it means a loss of business for the day. There is no point opening up because no one will be able to get to us.’

Dua and Callum have flown to the Italian island for their star-studded wedding, after celebrating their legal ceremony in London on Sunday

As part of strict security measures waste bins have been removed and temporary no drone fly zones have been established around the Galleria Moderna and Villa Valguarnera.

One local who lives next door to Villa Valguarnera – an Italo-Scot – told the Daily Mail: ‘I came out of my house to do some shopping and took a short cut past the villa and two mountain men jumped out on me.

‘They had black T-shirts on with the word security and asked what I was doing. I said I lived here and was going shopping. They thought I was a paparazzi.’

The cost of the wedding is said to be 1.5million Euros.

Antonio Rini, from Palermo Council’s tourism department, said: ‘For us having Dua Lipa’s wedding here is a great honour and the welcome they will receive will promote the city on the international stage.

‘Several big international artists will be arriving in Palermo for the wedding and this is a great return for the city.’

Insiders have been hailing the couple’s second nuptials as the ‘showbiz wedding of the year’, calling it Sicily’s most high-profile marriage since Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone wed Apollonia Vitelli in 1972 classic The Godfather.

An outspoken New York City college professor known for her anti-Israel and anti-US rhetoric recently stirred controversy by defending the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and advocating for the downfall of the US “empire” at a Democratic Socialists of America gathering.

Corinna Mullin, a political science professor with a history of radical activism, was previously arrested for spearheading anti-Israel protests that led to $3 million in damages at the City College of New York’s Harlem campus. During the meeting, she praised Iran’s military efforts for exhausting US weapons supplies in the Middle East and urged backing for its armed forces.

“Iran has achieved victory… its homegrown military industry has delivered remarkable outcomes,” she proclaimed during a fervent 90-minute “Islamic Revolution Teach-in” presented to the NYC chapter of the DSA.

“This is significantly impacting the US empire’s capacity to enforce its will… We must dismantle the empire by any means necessary,” she declared passionately.

Specializing in anticolonial studies, Mullin was dismissed by CUNY in 2025 after an eight-year tenure.

The termination came after she led an April 2024 encampment at the City College of New York. She fought the move and was reinstated this year, though her name didn’t appear on CUNY faculty pages and it’s unclear if she taught any classes there this spring semester. She also teaches at The New School.

Speaking to more than two-dozen comrades Wednesday evening, she painted Iran’s murderous Islamic regime in a socialist light to justify funding its military — while making zero mention of the riches Iran’s ruling elite has famously amassed through the control of oil and state-owned resources.

“I’d love to see a world with no militaries. But we can’t have peace without justice,” she said. “And so, a state like Iran needs to divert a significant portion of its surplus into military industrialization, so it can defend its workers.”

“The state itself is working on behalf of the working class,” she insisted.

“We can talk about the Epstein class and the depravity of the ruling class today, which knows no limits on violence. So, I’m sorry, I defend the IRGC,” she proclaimed tearfully. “I defend the incredible role the Iranian state has done to defend the working class.”

“This is a working-class war,” she claimed.

The DSA members ate it right up.

“This is excellent,” raved DSA leader Cass Roach, telling Mullin she can go past her allotted time. “Incredible!” gushed another.

“Frankly, people are scared to be seen as sympathetic to the Iranian government, it’s something that’s really holding us back,” whined Roach.

“It doesn’t matter what your opinions might be on the Iranian government or on particular policies, we are living in the heart of empire and our goal is to disrupt this war machine by — I’m glad we’re not recording right now — but I’ll just say here, by any means necessary,” he declared.

“That is our role. Our role is not to nitpick and to implement these types of purity tests.”

Mullin also incredulously praised the repressive and bloodthirsty Iranian regime for its “strong gender inclusion” — failing to mention women face death by hanging if they leave the house without being fully covered — and for “prioritizing human life,” despite an estimated more than 36,000 protestors killed since late December.

“It is grotesque that a professor at a New York university is standing in front of an American political organization to launder the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — a US-designated terrorist organization with American and Iranian blood on its hands,” lambasted Andrew Ghalili, an Iranian-American who serves as Policy Director at the National Union for Democracy in Iran.

“Anyone who poses as a defender of human rights while running interference for the IRGC is either dangerously ignorant of who its victims are or does not care, because the IRGC is the single greatest violator of Iranians’ human rights,” he told The Post.

“Calling that apparatus ‘self-defense’ and suggesting it deserves funding is a moral disgrace.”

Mullin — who has worked with the Samidoun network, a sham charity which the State Department has said acts as a front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist organization — wrote a “red paper” in May titled “The Multiple Fronts of Iranian Anti-Imperialism.”

The New School and CUNY didn’t immediately answer The Post’s questions on Mullin’s working status, or her embrace of the IRGC. She and the DSA did not return a request for comment.

When Jeff Bartos stood before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2025, he faced a stark warning: the position he aspired to might be a figment of imagination.

Bartos, a Pennsylvania entrepreneur, former political aspirant, and endurance athlete, had been selected by President Donald Trump to take on the role of U.S. ambassador for United Nations Management and Reform. This title, while ambitious, seemed to many as little more than an idealistic notion within the famously bureaucratic halls of the U.N.

As his confirmation hearing unfolded, Bartos recounted the skepticism he encountered.

“UN reform? That’s an oxymoron if I’ve ever heard one,” lawmakers remarked, reflecting the widespread belief that such a task was nearly impossible.

When Jeff Bartos appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2025 for his confirmation hearing, he was warned that the job he was seeking might not exist.  (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

Less than a year later, Bartos believes the impossible is beginning to happen.

In an exclusive interview with News Media, the Trump administration official laid out an ambitious campaign to reshape an institution critics say has become bloated, inefficient and increasingly disconnected from its founding mission.

The effort comes at a pivotal moment for the United Nations. The stakes extend well beyond budgets. As the U.N. confronts a cash crunch, prepares to choose its next secretary-general and faces growing scrutiny from the administration, the debate over reform has become a battle over the institution’s future: whether it remains on its current course or undergoes its most significant restructuring in decades.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting at U.N. headquarters in New York City on Feb. 28, 2026, following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. (Heather Khalifa/Reuters)

Secretary-General António Guterres has repeatedly warned of a growing liquidity crisis as the organization struggles with delayed member-state payments, including billions owed by the United States. At the same time, the Trump administration has made clear that future funding and support will be increasingly tied to reforms.

Bartos argues that pressure is already producing results.

Sitting at the U.N. headquarters, he points to what he calls historic achievements: roughly $570 million cut from the U.N.’s regular budget and 2,900 positions eliminated through negotiations among all 193 member states.

“Again, never happened before in 80 years,” Bartos said.

“$570 million cut to the regular budget, approximately 3,000 posts cut. Unanimity. That’s by consensus. All 193 countries had to come together.”

For Bartos, the achievement is particularly striking because many diplomats viewed meaningful reform as impossible.

As the U.N. confronts a cash crunch, prepares to choose its next secretary-general and faces growing scrutiny from the administration, the debate over reform has become a battle over the institution’s future.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“I promised you we wouldn’t let you down,” he recalled telling Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch months after his confirmation.

The reforms represent only what Bartos describes as a “down payment.” The next phase is already underway.

As member states negotiate peacekeeping budgets for the coming year, the administration is pushing to reduce spending, streamline missions and eliminate programs it believes no longer serve their intended purpose.

One example, Bartos said, involves changing how the U.N. reimburses countries that contribute equipment to peacekeeping missions.

Previously, reimbursement was largely based on whether equipment was present.

“The methodology that the U.N. used to reimburse troop-contributing countries for equipment was: ‘Is it there?’” Bartos said.

The United States pushed for a simple change: “You get reimbursed when the equipment is put into action to do work.”

The reform could save roughly $30 million annually, according to U.S. estimates.

For Bartos, however, the dollar figure matters less than what it represents.

“It’s a culture change,” he said. “Being efficient, being respectful of every dollar, thinking about the taxpayers who fund all this.”

That mindset is driving the administration’s next major targets: employee compensation and pensions.

Bartos argues that the U.N.’s pension system and benefits structure consume resources that could otherwise be directed toward humanitarian operations.

Not everyone at the United Nations agrees with Bartos’ assessment. U.N. officials argue that many of the reforms predate the Trump administration and were already being pursued under Secretary-General António Guterres.

“From day one, the Secretary-General has been committed to reforms,” U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told News Media and added, “A few days ago, on 28 May, the Secretary-General told Member States that they need to act on structural reform, saying, “Genuine reform requires tough choices. This is no time for complacency, self-interest, or foot-dragging.”

A view of the United Nations Headquarters building in New York City, United States on July 16, 2024. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The UN80 initiative is Guterres’ flagship reform effort, aimed at cutting duplication, reviewing mandates and making the UN system more efficient.

Still, Bartos argues the pace and scope of reform changed dramatically once the United States began applying pressure through budget negotiations and funding discussions.

“The U.N. is at a decision point,” Bartos told News Media.

The debate comes as the organization faces mounting financial pressure. Dujarric said Guterres remains deeply concerned about ongoing liquidity challenges caused by delayed payments from member states, including the United States.

“Unlike a government, the U.N. cannot borrow or print money,” Dujarric said, warning that the organization is expected to execute programs with funds it has not received while also returning unused funds at the end of the year.

Earlier in 2026, Guterres urged member states either to pay their assessed contributions in full and on time or overhaul the U.N.’s financial rules to prevent what he described as the risk of financial collapse.

The reforms are unfolding as the U.N. begins preparing for one of the most consequential transitions in years: the search for a successor to Guterres, whose term expires at the end of 2026.

According to Bartos, reform has become a central topic in discussions with prospective candidates.

The administration hopes the next secretary-general will embrace efforts to reduce bureaucracy and return the institution to what Bartos repeatedly describes as a “back-to-basics” approach.

The challenge, he acknowledges, is enormous.

Yet Bartos insists the experience has prepared him in unexpected ways.

Before entering government, he completed two Ironman triathlons while balancing work and family life.

“It’s discipline, planning, prioritization,” he said. “It’s not dissimilar to budget negotiations.”

The comparison may sound unusual, but it reflects how Bartos views the job: not as a sprint, but as an endurance race requiring patience, persistence and long-term thinking.

The mission also carries a personal dimension.

Bartos argues that the UN’s pension system and benefits structure consume resources that could otherwise be directed toward humanitarian operations. (Heather Khalifa/AP Photo)

After two unsuccessful statewide campaigns in Pennsylvania — first as the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor in 2018 and later as a candidate in the state’s 2022 Republican Senate primary — Bartos said he had largely stepped away from politics before returning to public service following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. 

Bartos recalled his wife urging him to get involved: “You’ve spent your life working on these issues. You need to do something.”

He ultimately joined efforts to help elect Trump and later accepted the U.N. role.

Now, after tackling what many considered the first impossible mission — reforming the United Nations — Bartos is preparing for what may prove an even harder challenge.

Bartos said he was recently tasked by U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz with helping lead efforts to combat what the administration views as entrenched anti-Israel bias across the U.N. system, including agencies, special rapporteurs and investigative bodies.

The debate intensified following the publication of the U.N. secretary-general’s annual report on conflict-related sexual violence, which added Israeli security forces to the report’s blacklist of parties credibly suspected of patterns of sexual violence in armed conflict. Israel rejected the allegations and announced it would suspend engagement with Secretary-General António Guterres’ office.

President Donald Trump addresses the 74th United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters Sept. 24, 2019, during his first term. (AAnthony Behar/Sipa USA)

Responding to the report, Waltz told News Media that the UN has failed to address what he described as a longstanding pattern of institutional antisemitism.

“The U.N. was built in the wake of World War II and the Holocaust, and yet, remarkably, it continues to be weaponized against the Jewish people and Israel,” Waltz said. “Whether it’s a U.N. official regularly referencing Israel as a ‘stain on humanity’ and attacking American companies for doing business with Israel, or reports that spread misinformation and propaganda, this antisemitism is completely unacceptable.”

“It’s been over a year since the secretary general signed off on an ‘action plan’ to fight antisemitism at the institution — it would be nice if the institution actually used it,” he added.

Bartos argues that anti-Israel bias has become embedded across multiple U.N. bodies and says the administration is working to dismantle what he calls that infrastructure through diplomacy, funding decisions and engagement with the next generation of U.N. leadership.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City on Sept. 26, 2025, with many seats empty. (Caitlin Ochs/Reuters)

“There is not a day that goes by that we’re not working on that,” Bartos said.

The United Nations rejects accusations that it has ignored antisemitism within its ranks.

Dujarric told News Media that the secretary-general launched a formal Action Plan to Combat Antisemitism in January 2025 aimed at tracking antisemitism within U.N. structures and evaluating whether the organization’s policies and actions are effectively addressing the problem.

Dujarric also disputed suggestions that Guterres directly controls some of the U.N. bodies most frequently criticized by Israel and its supporters. 

“The U.N. mechanisms that you allude to, including human rights mechanisms, are created by and accountable to Member States,” Dujarric said. “The Secretary-General has no authority over them.”

“It is very important for Member States to actively engage in these mechanisms if they have concerns about their content and tone,” he added.

“The U.N. is at a decision point,” Bartos concluded. 

Whether the institution changes enough to satisfy its largest financial contributor remains one of the most consequential questions facing the organization — and the man charged with answering it insists the work is only beginning.

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