Midday Roundup: FBI formally accuses North Korea of Sony hack

Cyber movie mayhem. The Obama administration is taking seriously what may be the most extensive cyberattack in U.S. history. FBI officials announced this morning they were formally accusing North Korea of perpetrating the sophisticated attack against Sony Pictures. White House spokesman Josh Earnest on Thursday said the situation has the president’s full attention. Earnest said a “proportional response” is needed but didn’t say what that might be. The attackers released damaging private information from Sony’s computer network after the studio produced The Interview, a comedy about a hypothetical assassination of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. The hackers promised more attacks against Sony and any theater that screened the film unless the studio canceled the movie’s release. On Wednesday, Sony relented, scrapping the film’s premiere.

Too expensive. Socialized medicine is dead in Vermont, at least for the time being. Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin told reporters he’s giving up on trying to pass so-called “single-payer” health care in his state. The reason for Shumlin’s about-face? Paying for state-run healthcare is a mountain too high for the Green Mountain State. To pay for his plan, Shumlin had called for an 11.5 percent payroll tax on businesses and an income tax hike of up to 9.5 percent.

Travel plans. John Kerry said he looks forward to being the first U.S. secretary of state in years to visit Cuba. Kerry said he’s moving ahead with the president’s directive to normalize diplomatic relations with the Castro regime. One sticking point: The State Department still officially lists Cuba as an exporter of terror. Kerry said his department is reviewing that designation.

Happy Hannukah. A Wednesday celebration of Hannukah at the White House featured four menorahs commissioned from Israel, each with a special meaning. Three of the menorahs came from organizations that promote positive Jewish-Muslim relations. Two of those were made by students at interfaith schools in Israel. An Israeli artist who uses shards of Palestinian rockets in his works made the fourth menorah. “The Hanukkah story teaches us that our light can shine brighter than we could ever imagine with faith, and it’s up to us to provide that first spark,” President Barack Obama said at the ceremony, which some have criticized for incorporating political themes.

Australian tragedy. Police do not believe anyone else is at risk after the deaths of eight children in a horrific attack in northern Australia. The children ranged in age from 18 months to 15 years. A 34-year-old woman, believed to be the mother of seven of the children, was injured in the attack but survived and is being treated at the hospital. The attack came days after another national tragedy, a hostage crisis in Sydney. The two towns are about 1,500 miles apart, roughly the distance from Miami to Boston. “As it stands at the moment, there’s no need for the public to be concerned about this other than the fact it’s a tragic, tragic event,” Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said.

WORLD Radio’s Mary Reichard and Jim Henry contributed to this report.