What I Meant Was: In an attempt to soften his stance against North Korea on the computer hacking of Sony Pictures, President Obama said yesterday on CNN, “No, I don’t think it was an act of war.” He said, “I think it was an act of cyber vandalism that was very costly, very expensive. We take it very seriously. We will respond proportionately.”

In what’s shaping up as a schoolyard fight over the sophomoric movie The Interview, which was cancelled after threatening hack attacks, a North Korean spokesman said that if the US takes action, “Our toughest counteraction will be boldly taken against the White House, the Pentagon and the whole US mainland, the cesspool of terrorism, by far surpassing the ‘symmetric counteraction’ declared by Obama.” This from a country that can’t feed its citizens.

Not to be outdone in chest-thumping, Sony Pictures lawyer David Boies said the movie will go to the theaters. “Sony only delayed this,” Boies said. “It will be distributed. How it’s going to be distributed, I don’t think anybody knows quite yet.” No, they don’t.

Cops: Big city police departments across the country are on alert after the ambush killing of two New York City officers. New York ‘s police union has advised officers to respond to every call with two patrol cars “no matter what the opinion of the patrol supervisor,” and to not make arrests “unless absolutely necessary.” The cops are accusing community leaders including Al Sharpton and Mayor Bill de Blasio of encouraging an anti-police attitudes during the days of protests after decisions not to prosecute officers in Ferguson, Mo. and New York.

Inside ISIS: A man believed to be the first Western journalist allowed inside ISIS-controlled territory in Syria and Iraq reports that the group is “much stronger and much more dangerous” than anyone in the West realizes. Jürgen Todenhöfer, 74, a well-known German journalist, spent 10 days inside the Islamic State. In an interview with a German website he said ISIS is supported with “ecstatic enthusiasm” inside its occupied territory. Todenhöfer said, “Each day, hundreds of willing fighters arrive from all over theworld. For me it is incomprehensible.”

The Intel:Intelligence is not always all that intelligent according to a special report in the NY Times. British, Indian and American intelligence agencies all were aware of at least parts of the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people before the assault took place. The intelligence agencies failed to communicate with each other and put the pieces of the puzzle together, according to the Times report, and the result was devastating.

The Big Game: Florida State quarterback and 2013 Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston has been cleared by the university of charges that he raped a fellow student in 2012. A former Florida Supreme Court Justice hired to judge the case ruled there was not enough evidence against Winston. From the beginning of the incident, local authorities and the university have been accused of giving Winston special treatment as a star athlete. Despite the possibility of appeal by his accuser, the ruling gives Winston enough time to play in the College Football Semifinal playoff Jan. 1, and maybe even in the championship game.

D-Day: United Parcel Service expects to deliver 34 million packages today, more than any other day in the company’s history. UPS has spent $500 million improving and streamlining its systems to avoid the meltdown it had last year when millions of Americans got nuttin’ for Christmas.

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