Your Thursday Briefing

View in [Browser] | Add [nytdirect@nytimes.com] to your address book. [The New York Times] [The New York Times] Thursday, December 29, 2016 [NYTimes.com »] [Your Thursday Briefing] By SEAN ALFANO [Secretary of State John Kerry said the U.S. decision to abstain in a recent U.N. vote on Israeli settlements was “in accordance with our values.”] Secretary of State John Kerry said the U.S. decision to abstain in a recent U.N. vote on Israeli settlements was “in accordance with our values.” James Lawler Duggan/Reuters Good morning. Here’s what you need to know: • Kerry’s speech rankles Israeli leader. Reactions to Secretary of State John Kerry’s rebuke of Israel for settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem continue to pour in after his speech Wednesday, which featured a harshness rarely used by American diplomats in discussing a close ally. “Israelis do not need to be lectured about the importance of peace by foreign leaders,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded. Leaders from both sides of the settlement debate said [Mr. Kerry had delivered a “eulogy”] for a two-state solution. The address received [criticism][from U.S. lawmakers] from both parties, and it was rejected by President-elect Donald J. Trump even before it was delivered. • A new normal in Chicago. More than [750 people have been killed in the city] this year, the police say, the highest total since 1997. Residents, primarily in African-American and Hispanic neighborhoods on the South and West Sides, fear that shootings have become a routine part of life. “We should be embarrassed as a city,” one activist said. The violence has made walking to and from school treacherous for many children. The city’s [Safe Passage program] hopes to change that. • Inside Apple. Our investigation into [the world’s biggest iPhone factory], in Zhengzhou, China, revealed a hidden bounty of perks, tax breaks and subsidies. The operation shows how China not only provides a large pool of labor but also offers incentives that would be difficult to replicate in the U.S. We also look at why an iPhone [costs less in American stores] than in Chinese shops. • A long-shot appeal. Among our most popular articles this week is [the case of Sam Siatta], a Marine Corps veteran of the war in Afghanistan who landed in prison after returning to Illinois. He was so drunk at the time of the violent act that led to his conviction that he doesn’t remember it. Our reporter, who also served in the Marines, visited Mr. Siatta in prison and spent time with him in the months since his release this year. • Health roundup. “It’s essentially the serial killer of drugs.” That’s an addiction counselor’s take on [Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid] that can be 100 times more potent than morphine and that now causes more deaths in some parts of the U.S. than heroin. A new study found that women [who took fish oil] in the last trimester of pregnancy significantly lowered the risk that their children developed asthma. Finally, scientists are reassessing the possibilities of aging and performance thanks, in part, to [an 85-year-old][who recently finished a marathon] in under four hours. Business • Cable news channels looked as if they were fading two years ago. [But 2016 proved to be a banner year] for the networks, largely because of the presidential race. The numbers weren’t as good, though, for cable TV giants like Discovery, ESPN and TBS. • The chief executive of a Japanese ad agency is resigning [to take responsibility for][the suicide] of a young employee last year. She was working more than 100 hours of overtime a month, according to an inquiry, much of it unreported and unpaid. • Insomnia and other sleep disorders are said to affect 50 million to 70 million Americans, causing a litany of health problems as well as billions of dollars in lost productivity. Technology companies are developing [alternatives][to][sleeping pills], which can be addictive. • U.S. stocks [were down] on Wednesday. Here’s a snapshot of [global markets]. Noteworthy • In memoriam. [Debbie Reynolds], the Hollywood star best known for the 1952 musical “Singin’ in the Rain,” died at 84, a day after the death of her daughter, the actress Carrie Fisher. “She’s now with Carrie and we’re all heartbroken,” her son said. Here’s [a look at six movies] for which Ms. Reynolds will be remembered. • Revisiting an atrocity. More than 100 years after a genocide of the Herero people in Namibia, Germany is acknowledging its role. [In our latest 360 video], a Herero elder recounts a story he heard from his forefathers. • Backlash after beach bash. The City Council of a Sydney suburb banned alcohol on the beach for the rest of the summer after more than [10,000 people trashed Coogee Beach on][Christmas Day]. Revelers were so drunk that oxygen tanks were needed to resuscitate some partygoers and that a shark alarm was set off three times to get intoxicated swimmers out of the water, according to an official. They also left behind 16 tons of garbage. • Recipe of the day. Couscous doesn’t have to be boring. [Jazz it up] with sautéed cherry tomatoes and basil. Back Story In case you missed it, a bit of music history was made this year. The [“Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen” song] by the Japanese comedian Kazuhito Kosaka went from YouTube to a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. At 45 seconds, it’s the [shortest song] to ever appear on the list. And the video has been watched more than 104 million times since its release this summer. The lyrics, while not likely to win the artist a Nobel Prize in Literature, proved to be catchy: “I have a pen, I have a apple. Uh! Apple pen!” Many imitations have appeared online over the last months, including one by [late-night host Stephen Colbert]. Asked what his favorite version was, Mr. Kosaka, who is better known by his stage name Pikotaro, said it was one from India. “But there is one thing I need to say: There is someone who in one of the videos actually stabs an apple with a pen,” he said. “That’s a waste.” Mr. Kosaka is relishing his newfound popularity, but he’s wary of becoming a one-hit wonder. He’s working on new music, but this time about citrus fruits. Patrick Boehler 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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