What happened?

Under the Trump administration, the U.S. has been touting a shift in foreign policy that has included withdrawing from the Paris climate accord and officially declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. After a contentious year, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley has announced that the U.S. has negotiated a reduced U.N. budget for 2018-2019.

The budget will be reduced by $285 million. Haley didn’t specify if the U.S., which provides the largest share of the U.N. budget, will reduce its contribution. Learn more about the U.N. budget cuts with our explainer here, and listen to the clip (above) for Mike Broomhead’s take as he stood in for Glenn on today’s show.

What did Nikki Haley say?

Haley released a statement criticizing the U.N. for mismanaging funding and “taking advantage” of the U.S.

“The inefficiency and overspending of the United Nations are well known. We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked. This historic reduction in spending – in addition to many other moves toward a more efficient and accountable UN – is a big step in the right direction. While we are pleased with the results of this year’s budget negotiations, you can be sure we’ll continue to look at ways to increase the UN’s efficiency‎ while protecting our interests.”

Anything else I should know?

Just a reminder: The U.S. is still not getting along well with a lot of the international community after its decision to formally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In response, 128 countries voted for a U.N. resolution demanding the U.S. rescind its recognition and halt plans to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.