Your Thursday Briefing

View in [Browser] | Add [nytdirect@nytimes.com] to your address book. Thursday, December 15, 2016 [The New York Times] [NYTimes.com »] [Morning Briefing] Thursday, December 15, 2016 [Your Thursday Briefing] By SEAN ALFANO [President-elect Donald J. Trump met with leaders of the technology industry in New York on Wednesday, assuring them he would make it easier for them to make trade deals.] President-elect Donald J. Trump met with leaders of the technology industry in New York on Wednesday, assuring them he would make it easier for them to make trade deals. Kevin Hagen for The New York Times Good morning. Here’s what you need to know: • “I’m here to help,” Trump says. Details are emerging from President-elect Donald J. Trump’s private meeting in New York with some of the technology industry’s most powerful figures on Wednesday. Vocational education, trade and immigration were prominent topics, [according to some executives]. Three of Mr. Trump’s adult children attended the gathering; journalists were ushered out after a few minutes. Tonight, the president-elect will continue his “thank you” tour with a rally in Pennsylvania, a state that was crucial to his victory. • Potential obstacles for Trump. The friendship between Mr. Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, Rex W. Tillerson, and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is likely to draw scrutiny during his confirmation hearing. It could also test the Republicans’ longstanding foreign policy position of [taking a hard line on Moscow]. Separately, [some Democratic state attorneys general] are considering teaming up to try to resist Mr. Trump on issues affecting undocumented immigrants and environmental policy. • Horror in Aleppo continues. [The latest effort to evacuate Syrian civilians] and insurgent fighters from rebel-held neighborhoods of eastern Aleppo was bogged down today, after one person was killed and several civilians and aid workers were wounded while being transported to Red Cross ambulances, opposition figures said. Some of the thousands of civilians who are trapped are documenting the carnage on social media. “They are refusing to let us off the hook,” [a Times writer says]. • A billion Yahoo accounts breached. The company, already reeling from the hacking of 500 million accounts in 2014, disclosed that [the information of more than a billion users][was][compromised] in a different attack in 2013. We’ve provided some steps you can take [to protect your personal information online]. • Speaking of hacking … In our latest look into reports of Russian cyberattacks seeking to influence U.S. elections, we examine how the Obama administration spent months [deliberating how to respond]. The delay, according to President Obama’s press secretary, was partly due to a desire to avoid politicizing intelligence findings and interfering in the presidential race. • Political turmoil in North Carolina. Republicans in the state legislature are [moving to strip powers] from the incoming Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, after a bitter election. The measures include an effort to end the governor’s control over election boards and requiring State Senate approval of cabinet members. • Do you have the next big story? If you think you have a credible tip, our newsroom wants to hear from you. [Click here] for secure, encrypted ways to share messages and materials with our journalists. Business • The Federal Reserve, as expected, [raised its benchmark interest rate] to a range of 0.5 percent to 0.75 percent, which is still low by historical standards. And it may defy forecasts and [remain low] for years, our writer explains. • Not all hospitals are equal in quality. The differences, a new study shows, can be a matter of life or death. [One finding]: Patients at the worst U.S. hospitals were three times more likely to die than if they were treated at one of the best hospitals. • A visitor to Japan ponders [what lessons the U.S. might take] from a work culture that weathered decades of a painfully damaged economy. “The anger apparent in so much of the developed world simply isn’t visible,” he writes. • U.S. stocks [were down] on Wednesday. Here’s a snapshot of [global markets]. Noteworthy • 36 hours in Nairobi. [Our 360 video] introduces you to the delights of Kenya’s capital, from giraffe kisses to country music. And if that leaves you with wanderlust, check out a slide show featuring [our favorite travel photography of 2016]. • Not just a barroom pastime. Michael van Gerwen has won 25 tournaments this year, amassing nearly $1.5 million in prize money. He’s [the world’s top-ranked darts player]. Whether he’s the greatest of all time is debated among fans of the game. He begins his quest in London tonight for a second world title. • Seasonal revelry, without regrets. What happens at the office party doesn’t necessarily stay at the office party. [That’s just one tip workplace experts offer] for attendees of holiday gatherings. Here’s another, blunter piece of advice: “Drinking too much at a workplace party is one of the quickest ways to derail your career,” the head of an addiction treatment center says. • Recipe of the day. [Try spiced lamb burgers] with cumin, red chile flakes and, if you have them, Sichuan peppercorns. Back Story The death of [John Glenn] has resurfaced memories of his famous orbit of Earth in 1962. Back then, there wasn’t much debris to block his view or threaten [his spacecraft]. Not so anymore. [Mitsunobu Okada, the founder of Astroscale, with a model of a satellite designed to intercept and remove debris from low Earth orbit.] Mitsunobu Okada, the founder of Astroscale, with a model of a satellite designed to intercept and remove debris from low Earth orbit. Ko Sasaki for The New York Times Humans have created [millions of pieces] of so-called space junk during the past 60 years. While most are less than four inches in diameter, even tiny objects can threaten spacecraft and communications satellites. “Going at 17,500 miles per hour, a little marble can wipe out a space station,” said John L. Crassidis, a University at Buffalo engineering professor. When bits of junk collide, they often break apart, creating more debris. Adding to the clutter is the abundance of satellites that technology companies are launching these days. NASA has [called for] stronger international regulations. “It’s a political mess,” Dr. Crassidis said. Japan, though, is stepping forward to confront the challenge. Last week, its national space agency launched [a spacecraft] featuring a 2,300-foot cable that can safely guide debris into Earth’s atmosphere. If the mission works, it could lead to more innovative approaches, like one a Japanese entrepreneur recently [discussed with The Times]. He wants his company to be the leader in extraterrestrial trash collection. Its slogan: Space Sweepers. Giovanni Russonello contributed reporting. _____  Your Morning Briefing is published weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern and [updated on the web all morning]. What would you like to see here? Contact us at [briefing@nytimes.com]. 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