House intelligence chairman: evidence points to North Korea in Sony hack attack

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said that evidence seems to be pointing to North Korea's involvement in the hacking attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment.

According to the Hill, Rogers said on Friday that even though the North Korean government has denied responsibility, they praised the action.

"I would argue as a former FBI guy, that when a nation state says that this group who doesn't know who we are but did this on behalf of the North Korean people ... and we appreciate it...As we would say in the FBI, 'That is a clue.'"

He declined to say what what he has been told in intelligence briefings, but said that public information is pointing toward North Korean responsibility.

He also said that the hack attack on Sony was a"game changer" when it came to cybersecurity, although legislation he has been championing has stalled in the Senate.

North Korea has condemned Sony's release of the movie "The Interview," a comedy in which Seth Rogen and James Franco play entertainment journalists recruited to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jung-un.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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'Selma' director calls Sony emails 'sickening and sad'

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On the same day that she became the first black woman to receive a Golden Globe nomination for best director, "Selma" filmmaker Ava DuVernay took a moment to remark on the controversial email exchange that, for some, has highlighted a dispiriting lack of progress in some of the higher echelons of Hollywood.

"I have two words: sickening and sad," DuVernay told Variety at Thursday night's Washington, D.C., premiere of "Selma." "That's really all I have to say."

The director was referring to one of many conversations between producer Scott Rudin and Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chair Amy Pascal that were made public as a result of the massive Sony hack attack by Guardians of Peace, a group protesting the upcoming release of the studio's North Korea-skewering satire "The Interview." In the exchange in question, Pascal and Rudin traded quips about President Obama's movie tastes -- which, the two speculated, might run toward the likes of "Django Unchained," "12 Years a Slave," "The Butler" and the comedies of Kevin Hart.

A later version of that conversation might well have included mention of "Selma," which re-creates the 1965 voting-rights marches led by Martin Luther King Jr. in heavily segregated Alabama. On Thursday morning, the much-lauded Paramount release picked up Golden Globe nominations not only for DuVernay's direction but also for picture and best actor for David Oyelowo for his portrayal of King.

During the post-screening Q&A held at the Newseum in D.C., the first question taken from the audience concerned the Sony hacking scandal. While DuVernay was circumspect about the matter onstage, "Selma" producer Dede Gardner spoke at greater length, acknowledging that Pascal and Rudin were being judged on the basis of a private communication.

"It's confusing because it's obviously a private conversation that was exposed and made public to the world, and it's hard, I think, for people who know those people," Gardner said. "You get let into spaces that you're not meant to be in."

"I'd like to think that it can be a very valuable lesson in how powerful the slightest words can be, and how lasting and impactful they are," she added. "It is no joke. There are not grades of racism. There's racism."

Pascal and Rudin both issued apologies for their remarks on Thursday, with Pascal personally reaching out to Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, who had criticized the emails in question. He wasn't alone. Earlier that day, Shonda Rhimes wrote on Twitter: "Calling Sony comments 'racially insensitive remarks' instead of 'racist'? U can put a cherry on a pile of sh*t but it don't make it a sundae."

The "Selma" Q&A, which was well attended by local elected officials and moderated by "NewsHour" co-anchor Gwen Ifill, also included actors Oyelowo and Lorraine Toussaint, producers Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner (who are both among the producers of "12 Years a Slave") and cinematographer Bradford Young. But the undisputed star of the panel was congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis, a 25-year-old version of whom is portrayed in the film by Stephan James.

"I was deeply moved and touched to see myself played by a young guy, with all of his hair," Lewis said to much laughter, before turning sober and reflective. "You know, when I was growing up in rural Alabama, a few miles from Selma ... when we went to the theater as young black children, we had to go upstairs to the balcony. And all of the white children headed downstairs to the first floor."

"You didn't see anybody who looked like you on that screen," Ifill said.

Lewis replied, "Seeing myself being played is almost too much."

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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White House: public likely 'cringed' when reading Sony e-mails

White House spokesman Josh Earnest on Friday said he thinks "a lot of people cringed a bit" when reading Amy Pascal's hacked Sony emails in which she jokes with producer Scott Rudin about President Obama's tastes in movies.

Pascal apologized for the racially tinged emails, which she called "insensitive and inappropriate but are not an accurate reflection of who I am."

Speaking at the White House press briefing, Earnest noted that "at least one of the Sony executives whose emails were made public has apologized for the contents of those emails, and I think that was appropriate."

"I think a lot of people who read those emails, maybe not everybody, but I think a lot of people cringed a bit when they were reading them," Earnest said.

CBS News' Major Garrett pressed Earnest on what he meant, saying, "Because [the emails] were what?"

Earnest joked, "Garrett may think it is my first day here."

Earnest said that he had not spoken to Obama about the stolen emails.

Pascal and Rudin apologized for the emails on Thursday after Buzzfeed published the leaked exchange.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Consumers reminded about health insurance deadline

CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire residents shopping for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act during the second enrollment period have nearly four times more choices but only half the time to make their decision.

While the first enrollment period lasted six months, the health law's second sign-up season started Nov. 15 and ends Feb. 15. And Monday marks a key deadline — it's the last day to enroll in coverage that will start Jan. 1.

As that date nears, insurance company officials want consumers to carefully consider all their options given that the number of companies offering health plans has increased from one to five, and the number of plans available to individuals has jumped from 11 to 40. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has been joined by Assurant, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Maine Community Health Options and Minuteman Health.

The nearly 42,000 New Hampshire residents who purchased plans through the healthcare.gov marketplace during the first sign-up period will automatically be re-enrolled, but health care advocates, and the insurance companies competing for those customers, say renewal may not be the best option because the tax credits that subsidize coverage could have changed.

"If they do nothing, they could potentially be stuck with the same plan but paying higher premiums," said Sean Caron of Minuteman, which is pitching that new customers also will have access to the company's provider network in Massachusetts as well as New Hampshire.

Michael Gendreau of Maine Community Health said most consumers likely will sort through plans based on affordability, but they should take a closer look at the details.

"Is your doctor or hospital in the network? Is your prescription medication covered?" he said. "You have to look beyond the premium, because while the premium may be affordable, can you afford to get sick?"

Anthem spokesman Colin Manning echoed that advice, and said those who enrolled last year should update their information before Monday to ensure any subsidy information is accurately recorded.

"It is important that as consumers evaluate their plan options, they go beyond comparing the premium rates and look closely the differences in copays, deductibles and co-insurance, as the cost-sharing associated with the benefit plans can vary greatly," he said.

Beth Roberts, a vice president at Harvard Pilgrim, wanted to remind residents insurance brokers can help them sort through the maze of plans at no cost. While most of the insurance companies said they could not provide details of how many consumers have enrolled since Nov. 15, Roberts said about 1,400 people have signed up with her company so far. Nearly two-thirds have opted for plans that use the company's smaller but more affordable provider network, she said.

"We're thrilled to be on the exchange and we think things have gone quite smoothly," she said.

At Assurant, its Preferred Provider Organization networks will allow consumers to pick the doctor they want without needing referrals from a primary care doctor, unlike HMO plans that typically require referrals, said Mary Hinderliter, vice president of communications for the company.

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Initiative aimed at preventing sudden infant deaths

WOBURN, Mass. — Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan has begun a campaign aimed at preventing sudden unexpected infant deaths.

The campaign will include outreach to OB/GYN and pediatric offices, free regional community workshops for expectant and new parents on infant sleep safety, and a smartphone app that promotes safe sleep tips.

Sudden unexpected infant death is the leading cause of death among babies in the first year of life. More than 2,000 babies die each year in sleep-related deaths across the United States. In Massachusetts, it is the third leading cause of death statewide for children under the age of one, ranging from between 30 and 50 deaths each year.

Over the last five years, the District Attorney's Office has responded to and investigated 19 sleep-related infant deaths throughout Middlesex County.

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AstraZeneca to shut Westboro plant

The closure of a massive AstraZeneca drug manufacturing facility in Westboro next year is an outlier and doesn't signal trouble in the state's booming life sciences industry, one local industry watcher said.

"That particular facility and the kind of manufacturing they did there is somewhat of an outlier," said Peter Abair, director of economic development and global affairs for the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council. "It's the type of manufacturing we don't really do a lot, it's more traditional pharmaceutical inhalants."

Yesterday, the drug giant said it will close its manufacturing facility in Westboro in late 2015, affecting roughly 180 employees and contractors. The facility makes Pulmicort Respules, an asthma treatment.

The biotech boom in Massachusetts is built largely on biologic drugs — treatments based on living organisms. That manufacturing process is still advancing incredibly quickly, "on a daily basis," Abair said. Because of that, companies are keeping their research and manufacturing close, he said.

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Merger of Staples, Office Depot predicted

Activist investor Starboard Value's disclosure that it bought a 5.1 percent stake in Framingham's Staples Inc. and upped its Office Depot Inc. holding to 9.9 percent indicates the New York hedge fund will push for a merger of the two office supplies chains, according to analysts.

And while that would leave a single dominant U.S. office supplies retailer, Starboard is confident the Federal Trade Commission would approve it, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. The FTC signed off on Office Depot's $1.2 billion merger with OfficeMax last year without imposing conditions.

Starboard did not return calls for comment. Its regulatory filings stated that Staples' and Office Depot's shares were "undervalued and represented an attractive investment opportunity" and outlined possible future actions including "making recommendations or proposals … concerning changes to the ... ownership structure ... industry consolidation or potential business combinations."

B. Riley & Co. analyst R. Scott Tilghman sees far more reluctance on the part of struggling Staples' to pursue an acquisition or merger than Office Depot. "Staples historically has had the belief that as the frontrunner of the industry, they understood how to operate and, over time, would continue to gain share over their rivals," he said. "Unfortunately, in recent years, especially after the Office Depot-OfficeMax merger announcement, that hasn't been the case."

Starboard's stakes in both retailers hint at a possible merger in the works given its involvement in the Office Depot/OfficeMax merger, Citi analyst Kate McShane said "If they cannot achieve this, due most likely to FTC concerns, we think they will push to have one or both of these companies sold," she said.

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Hot Property: Penthouses become highly desirable

Penthouses have always had a cachet, but it's only in the last 10 years that Boston has gone vertical enough to create a lot of them.

Buildings like the Ritz- Carlton Residences, the W, 45 Province St., the Mandarin Oriental and The Clarendon put the high-style urban penthouse on the Hub map. Upcoming buildings will raise the ante. The Millennium Tower is offering a 13,000-square-foot penthouse atop the 60th floor for $37.5 million, the city's most expensive listing ever. And projects like One Dalton Street in the Back Bay and Twenty Two Liberty on Fan Pier are also building spectacular pent­houses.

"Big building penthouses are like bespoke suits — custom made" says Wayne Lopez, who sold six at 45 Province St. and is now working for Millennium Partners. "These are people who don't buy cars off lots or suits off the tracks."

Lopez says new penthouses are often sold as raw space, letting buyers customize floor plans and finishes, noting a family with young children bought a 45 Province St. penthouse because they could alter the layout to fit their needs.

For those buyers who want a penthouse, but can't wait two to three years for a build-out, there are usually several on the market.

Gibson Sotheby's Beth Dickerson is listing a 16th-floor two-bedroom corner penthouse at One Charles for $3,195,000 that features both a wraparound terrace off the living areas and a private one off the master bedroom, with panoramic views of the city on two sides.

"Having outdoor space is huge and increases the value of a penthouse by 20 percent," said Dickerson, who sold one for $13 million at the Mandarin Oriental. "And corner pent­houses are very hard to find."

Dickerson says penthouses are high on the bachelor pad wish list and those of people who like to entertain. There are the much-touted wealthy foreign buyers looking for a trophy penthouse, but also local empty nesters. Coldwell Banker agent Albert Lynch is a buyer's broker for a suburban Boston couple with two grown children.

"Some buyers want to be in flag buildings, those that mix condos with a hotel offering amenities such as room service." Lynch said. "Others, like my client, are looking for a full-service building that's quieter."

Lynch said tall building penthouses are a different animal than penthouses in other neighborhoods. In penthouse units he recently sold on Beacon Hill and in the Leather District, exclusive rights to roof decks were a top amenity

Penthouses along the Water­front or in Charlestown aren't as high up but offer spectacular views. Penthouse 230 for sale at Flagship Wharf for $2,149,000 has 2,434 square feet of space, floor-to-­ceiling windows and two private terraces that look out over Boston Harbor.

"Whether you want water or city views, if you're looking for a condo with more than 2,000 square feet or three bedrooms in the city, these will generally be penthouse units," Dickerson said.

Why pay more, when the views a few floors below are nearly as good?

"It's the cachet of living in a one-of-a-kind space where you live at the top" Lynch said. "Some people want to be able to say they live in a penthouse and will pay extra for the privilege."

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Fox News reporter dies of apparent suicide

Veteran Fox News correspondent Dominic Di-Natale, who recently reported on the riots in Ferguson, Mo., has been found dead of an apparent suicide.

He was 43.

Officials discovered Di-Natale's body Wednesday in Jefferson County, Co., where the international reporter owned property. The coroner said that he took his own life.

According to Fox News, the U.K. born journalist had been dealing with undisclosed health issues.

"We were extremely saddened to learn of Dominic's passing and send our deepest condolences to his family and friends," said a statement from a Fox News spokesperson. "He was an esteemed journalist and an integral part of our news coverage throughout the Middle East."

Di-Natale, who began as a contributor to BBC World, covered international stories for Fox News and worked out of the network's Los Angeles bureau.

He also reported on the 2011 raid that killed Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

Fox News' Megyn Kelly expressed her condolences on Twitter.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Mass. company plans Delaware medical pot clinic

WILMINGTON, Del. — A Massachusetts company is planning to open a medical marijuana clinic in Delaware next month, though doing business in the state could be tricky.

Boston-based Canna Care Doctors plans to open the clinic on Jan. 17 in an industrial park south of Wilmington just steps away from Delaware's first medical marijuana dispensary, set to begin sales in April.

Canna Care has hired a doctor and a cardiologist, and signed a lease for the clinic. For $200 annually, patients at Canna Care will be able to meet with a "cannabis consultant," and get a doctor's appointment and a six-month follow-up. Insurance won't be accepted.

Kevin Kafka, chief operating officer for Canna Care, said the company targeted Delaware because doctors in the state have been hesitant to recommend medical marijuana to their patients.

"The problem in Delaware right now is they don't have enough doctors writing recommendations for patients who truly need it," he said. "We offer an alternative."

But Delaware's medical marijuana law requires doctors who recommend marijuana to their patients must have a bona fide relationship with them that "may not be limited to authorization for the patient to use medical marijuana or consultation for that purpose," The News Journal reported.

State officials have recently acted to further tighten those restrictions.

Last month, Delaware's director of public health, sent a letter to about 100 doctors with patients in the state's medical marijuana program, expressing concerns about "walk-in" clinics certifying patients to use medical marijuana without a firmly established relationship.

Going forward, state officials said they'll have a higher standard for physician certification documents.

Among the requirements: health officials reviewing medical marijuana applications must ensure doctors have done a full assessment of a patient's medical history; that they've created and maintained health records; that they'll continue to provide care for the patient; and that they'll provide follow-up care to make sure the marijuana is helping.

Kafka said his company will follow Delaware's rules. The company's Delaware doctor will meet with patients, and provide follow-up care — even sooner than six months, if necessary, he said.

"We've been working very closely with folks in Dover to ensure that we're in full compliance," Kafka said. "We're taking our current business model and altering it to make sure it fits the regulations in Delaware."

There are 164 medical marijuana cardholders in Delaware, with another 46 applications under review, according to the state. The planned opening of Delaware's first dispensary in April will mark the first time those patients can legally obtain marijuana for conditions that include cancer, HIV, agitation of Alzheimer's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, and Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Gov. Jack Markell signed the medical marijuana bill into law in 2011, but he halted implementation after federal authorities indicated people involved in cultivating and distributing marijuana could face civil fines or prosecution.

Last August, the governor said he was moving forward with a single, state-licensed "compassion center." The bill he signed in 2011 had called for three such centers, one in each county.

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Information from: The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., http://www.delawareonline.com

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