Your Friday Evening Briefing

The Bronx, New Year's, I.R.S. | View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Friday, December 29, 2017 [NYTimes.com »]( [Your Friday Evening Briefing]( By KAREN ZRAICK AND SANDRA STEVENSON Please note: There will be no Evening Briefing on Monday because of the holiday. Good evening. Here’s the latest. Andres Kudacki/Associated Press 1. “It seems like a horrible, tragic accident.” That was Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York, discussing the [fire that killed 12 people]( — four of them children — on Thursday night in the Bronx. It was the deadliest fire in New York City since 1990, and it was started by a 3-year-old playing with a stove. Here’s what we know [about the victims](. Above, an alley in the back of the building. And [in Mumbai, a blaze engulfed two rooftop restaurants]( in a trendy neighborhood. Fourteen people were killed, including a 28-year-old woman who was there celebrating her birthday. _____ Andrew Kelly/Reuters 2. The N.Y.P.D. is ramping up [security for the New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square]( to protect against a Las Vegas-style sniper, suicide bomber or truck attack. There’s no specific threat, but the department takes every precaution for the storied celebration, which draws about two million people. (The Times actually started the ball drop in 1907; [read about it here]( Another major concern for outdoor New Year’s celebrations: the [freezing temperatures engulfing the Northeast and Midwest](. Some towns are canceling them entirely amid record lows. (And if you’re planning on a polar-bear plunge, maybe just wait a year.) _____ Steve Parsons/Press Association, via Associated Press 3. Across the pond, the head of [Britain’s National Health Service had a message]( for partygoers: “N.H.S. doesn’t stand for ‘National Hangover Service.’” They’ve seen a huge jump in people referred to the emergency room on New Year’s due to intoxication. “It’s frankly selfish when ambulance paramedics and A. & E. nurses have to be diverted to looking after revelers who have overindulged,” he admonished. Above, bottles left out for recycling. _____ Ayman Aref/European Pressphoto Agency 4. At least nine people were killed when gunmen [opened fire on a Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo](. Such an attack in the capital is unusual. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but suspicion fell on the Islamic State. Above, a victim’s funeral. Separately, the U.S. may [withhold $255 million in aid to Pakistan]( to punish the government for failing to cooperate on counterterrorism operations. A decision could come within weeks. _____  5. Bombs made on a picturesque island in Italy are being used in the Saudi-led air war on Yemen — and we found them at the scene of civilian deaths there. [Our video investigation offers a rare glimpse]( into the shadowy global arms trade. We found a large increase in the exports, which human rights groups say violate international law, in the past year. _____ Richard Perry/The New York Times 6. A mile of subway tunnel in Manhattan costs seven times the global average. Why? Start with 200 workers paid $1,000 a day — to do nothing. We delved into M.T.A. records and interviewed transit and construction experts from around the world for this look at how excessive staffing, little competition and generous contracts dramatically inflate [transit construction costs in New York City](. _____ Max Whittaker for The New York Times 7. Are you getting a big break from the tax bill? [Our columnist Ron Lieber says]( that if you can afford it, you should think about giving it back. To the economy, that is, not the I.R.S. His suggestions: hire someone, pay an employee or service provider like a cleaner more, buy something that benefits American workers. Or give to causes you believe in. He [started a hashtag on Twitter]( #GiveItBack, and he’s asking readers to chime in about their plans. _____ Gracheva Lab 8. You might wish you had this rodent superpower right about now. Scientists have discovered a quirk [in the proteins of some squirrels and hamsters]( that helps them behave a bit like cold-blooded animals. It allows them to survive for long periods in the cold, without packing on pounds first. _____  9. This is what love and sadness look like in five countries, [according to their top GIFs](. We looked at data from Brazil, India, Italy, Mexico and the U.S. from Giphy, the largest GIF search engine. There are certain GIFs — [Blinking White Guy]( for instance — that enjoy great circulation everywhere. Others seem to take off in particular places, and there are canny cultural adaptations too. One [popular Mexican meme]( takes a clip of Disney’s Hercules presenting a flower to his love interest — and replaces it with Mexican street corn. _____ Edu Bayer for The New York Times 10. Finally, want to be happy? [Think like an old person](. Nearly three years ago, our reporter started following six New Yorkers over the age of 85, one of the fastest-growing age groups in America. He discovered lots of wisdom for the young(er) about resilience, making peace and doing what brings you joy. Above, Ping Wong, who in one conversation gave her age variously as 90, 92, 98 and almost 100, with her family. Happy New Year. _____ Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern. And don’t miss [Your Morning Briefing]( posted weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern, and Your Weekend Briefing, posted at 6 a.m. Sundays. Want to catch up on past briefings? [You can browse them here](. 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