we clear out this weekend right through christmas. great news for santa claus. >> and the reindeer. on our broadcast tonight, who's to blame for the withering continuing electronic attack on sony pictures? publicly the white house won't say. privately the feds are pointing to north korea. and what does that mean for national security? trouble from within. a scathing new report on what the secret service has to fix right away, starting with the fence around the white house. inside cuba. while some americans remain suspicious, cubans seem to embrace a new era of relations with the u.s., and the change can already be felt in the streets. and joining the team. how a 9-year-old boy became the most celebrated member of a college hoops squad. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening. it has already crippled a big company. it's cost a major studio a major motion picture. and it's had a terrible cost to privacy. and while the electronic attack on sony pictures goes on, federal officials are pointing right at the source. they say the attack was launched from inside north korea. it raises huge questions about vulnerability and national security. and it's where we begin tonight with our justice correspondent pete williams. pete, good evening. >> brian, good evening. u.s. officials tonight say they now believe the attack was launched inside north korea then rooted through computer servers in taiwan to take advantage of faster computer circuits in the outside world. but they're still unsure about whether there was outside help in designing the attack. security analysts say even though north korea has a force of nearly 6,000 people assigned to do cyber attacks, its previous attempts have been primitive. now they say the nature of the

sony attack, who it targeted, the splashy claims of credit and the dumping of stolen e-mails into known websites of hackers, suggest if the north koreans were behind the attack, they had help. >> now they've done something quite sophisticated just abruptly out of nowhere. so how did they suddenly acquire that capability? it's hard to imagine how they could do it without outside help. >> reporter: even so, u.s. officials say they found no definitive sign that sony insiders were involved. officials say this attack may have began months ago and bounced all over rooted through a series of servers to disguise the origin. if it was launched by north korea, how to respond? the obama administration says the attackers may be itching for a reaction. >> sophisticated actors when they carry out actions like this are oftentimes, not always, but often seeking to provoke a response from the united states of america. >> reporter: responding in kind with a cyber attack might not be effective because north korea doesn't have much of a cyber

footprint. >> there's no banking structure in north korea. so it wouldn't do any good to go after those. north korea already suffers major power outages on a daily basis. >> reporter: a former federal computer crimes prosecutor says a country that mounts an attack over a movie looks weak. >> if this is north korea, it is sort of silly that they would engage in almost an act of war because they don't like a movie. >> reporter: more definitive word on the government's conclusion about the source of the attack may come tomorrow. pete williams, nbc news, washington. >> reporter: this is joe fryer in hollywood, where billboards promoting "the interview" are coming down. to many entertainers, it's an uneasy surrender. uneasy symbol of surrender. >> personally i think allowing a ruthless dictator of another country decide what american people can and cannot see in our own country is against like everything we're supposed to stand for, right? >> reporter: jimmy kimmel echoing what many celebrities are tweeting.

from rob lowe who stars in "the interview," "wow, everyone caved. the hackers won. an utter and complete victory for them. for them." while ben stiller is calling the movie's cancellation a threat to freedom of expression. >> one thing they shouldn't do is throw up their hands and say, okay, we give up. we'll be quiet. we'll only make safe movies from now on. >> reporter: sony pulled the movie after the largest theater chains weren't going to show it. afraid threats from the hackers would impact all movies during the busy holiday season. >> both sony and theater chains were under pressure from other studios, from the shopping mall owners. >> reporter: but across hollywood there's fear. what happened with "the interview" could have a chilling effect on the industry. already this week a movie set in north korea was scrapped. as for "the interview," it's unlikely to be seen through video on demand or online streaming. >> is amazon going to provoke north korea after seeing what's done with sony, netflix, itunes? i don't see it happening. >> reporter: in place of "the interview" a few theaters were planning to show "team america

world police," a 2004 comedy that parodied former north korean leader kim jong-il. that movie was banned from the big screen, just like "the interview." joe fryer, nbc news, los angeles. tonight learning details on a classified report on the secret service and some are alarming. this follows the string of embarrassing incidents and describes an agency stretched beyond its limits including agents and officers both overworked and severely undertrained. nbc's chris jansing has our report from one of the places they protect, the north lawn. chris, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. reading this report is a view into an agency far removed from its storied history. a protection force described as starved for leadership and it recommends sweeping changes. in an executive summary, the

panel of four independent investigators bluntly lays out the high stakes for the secret service. a single miscue or split-second delay could have disastrous consequences for the nation and the world. >> it's absolutely necessary these changes are made now. there are no do-overs in the secret service. >> reporter: the recommendations are dramatic. a fence at least four to five feet taller to delay intruders, a significantly bigger force, 85 new agents and 200 new uniformed officers, more training time. shockingly in 2013 uniformed officers were trained only about 25 minutes each. and to oversee the changes a shakeup at the top including a director from outside the service. removed from traditions and personal relationships. that may not sit well inside the agency as the acting director told brian. >> because we don't have time to train someone in this role. you've got to have someone who has some history and knows where we need to go in the future.

>> reporter: director julia pierson was fired after omar gonzalez made an unprecedented breach into the white house. and clancy has started to make changes. including reinforcing the fence. homeland security director jeh johnson says it's just a start. >> this is not something in my judgment based on the recommendations i've seen that can change overnight. >> reporter: that's a reality check. first, all this will cost money and some republican members of congress are already raising budget concerns. the report also acknowledges that change is hard and says very directly, i'm quoting here, "some in the secret service will resist and may need to move on." brian. >> from the white house tonight, nbc's chris jansing, chris, thanks. we got a rare look today at boston marathon bombing suspect dzhokhar tsarnaev. helicopter cameras caught him being transported between vehicles, then escorted into a detention facility, following his last court appearance before the start of his trial next month. for something that happened yesterday and was over 50 years

in the making, the effort to normalize relations with cuba sure seems to be moving fast. those against it call it appeasement giving in to an avowed enemy. the president says all those sanctions aren't about to bring about any other result. and today came the reaction to the proposed seismic shift in u.s./cuban relations. we begin our coverage tonight with our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell. >> reporter: passions are high in miami. >> nothing is going to change in cuba. the dissidents are just going to be kept thrown in jail. >> reporter: three generations of this family all against the castros, but 28-year-old elena is eager for an opening to the island from which her parents and grandparents escaped. >> i have dreamed of cuba for years. cuba is everything. >> reporter: now exchanges will be possible because of a spy trade. a u.s. mole, rolando saraff trujillo, is safely in the u.s. three cubans jailed in america were given a heroes welcome in havana by raul castro. raul castro could even be invited to the white house.

>> the president has had the leaders of both burma and china to the united states. and for that reason, i wouldn't rule out a visit from president castro. >> reporter: critics said today raul castro's cuba has not changed. >> principles are dictatorship, repression, jailing of your opponents and exiling the rest. >> reporter: president obama is arguing decades of isolating cuba should end. >> the country itself has changed. the world has changed. so this direction that the president has put in motion is probably long overdue. >> reporter: before long the u.s. intersection in havana, the scene of those huge anti-american rallies under fidel castro will become a full-fledged u.s. embassy. caterpillar, marriott, jetblue, mastercard, western union, coca-cola, gm, major league baseball. as soon as new regulations are written. >> i'm quite certain we're talking about weeks -- days or weeks. certainly not months.

>> reporter: the assistant secretary of state will be going to havana leading a delegation next month, followed shortly after by secretary kerry, trying to open the door to cuba. even as cuban-americans in congress and other critics try to keep it shut. brian. >> andrea mitchell at the state department tonight. andrea, thanks. now let's go south for the reaction from inside cuba, where changing times appear to be on the way. where the door to the u.s. and the outside world closed long ago, long before many of them were born. nbc's mark potter is in havana tonight with one of the classic forms of transportation in that city. mark, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. we talked to a lot of people today and we drove all around havana. and we took our trip in the vintage style that has helped make this city famous. >> hello sir. >> reporter: hello there. our tour guide makes his living driving tourists around havana in his fully restored 1956 chevy bel aire.

we begin on the famous coastal road where he says has high hopes that normalized u.s./cuban relations will bring even more visitors and money here. >> it's better for my business. better for everything. >> reporter: around the bend along the harbor we come upon havana's central park, where the owners of these vintage american cars have used cuban ingenuity for years to keep them running. the trade embargo has kept them from buying american parts since 1961. they all hope that changes soon. buying american parts in cuba, would that be a good thing for you? would you like that? >> yes, i would like that very much. >> reporter: then we're back on the road. this building coming up here is the u.s. intersection. we don't actually have an embassy in cuba. outside, a long line of people seeking visas to visit the u.s. or move there. some say fewer cubans would leave if better relations improve the stagnant economy here. >> people just leave to get money.

>> reporter: a few miles away in the old center of town we see another side of havana. block after block of dilapidated buildings. santros sancheez shares his home with three generations of family. he's happy to hear the u.s. and cuba are trying to make amends. down a neighboring street and up a rickety set of stairs a surprising jewel, the famous la grarita restaurant. the owner says decades of u.s./cuban discord have been a huge waste. but change is coming. >> i believe that this door that is open will be another way more possibility for the future. >> reporter: they also hope opening that door will bring in such things as food and computers and allow cuban baseball players to join u.s. major league teams without having to defect. brian. >> mark potter in havana tonight. thanks to you and that beautiful bel aire for our tour. wall street just had the

best day of the year, in fact the best day in three years. the dow finishing up over 400 points for the first time since november of 2011. good day for the nasdaq and s&p as well. both finished well into positive territory. all this on news that the federal reserve is not planning to raise interest rates, at least in the near future. still ahead, on a thursday evening a rough ride for the company attempting to transform the way so many americans get around. increasing concerns about the safety of uber. also, winning spirit. something extraordinary happened when a 9-year-old boy was recruited by a college basketball team.

we are back with a story about new concerns tonight for uber, one of the nation's fastest growing companies. the car service and taxi alternative now in 70 cities across the country. 260 cities worldwide. and with that rapid expansion comes increasing concern about safety. we get our report tonight from nbc's janet shamlian. >> reporter: sofia lu was in a san francisco crosswalk when the 7-year-old was hit and killed by a car. the driver was working for uber. >> after i lost my daughter, i just feel i want to die too. >> reporter: uber denied responsibility because the driver who had a previous conviction for reckless driving didn't have a passenger at the time. uber says it performed a background check but won't comment whether it knew about the conviction. in boston an uber driver was

charged with raping and kidnapping a female passenger. the company says that driver passed a background check. they are two incidents that have some questioning whether a ride in an uber car is a safe one. uber screening doesn't check the fbi's criminal database like many taxi companies do. uber outsources its background checks. san francisco is suing uber. district attorney george gascon saying screenings are inadequate because they don't include fingerprinting. >> if you read their website, there's all this language about how they're striving to make this a safe experience for the driver. and when you start reading the small print, you can see that basically uber is completely walking away from any liability. >> reporter: other ride services don't fingerprint either. but it's uber been aggressive in fighting stronger background checks. the company has defended its screening, but on wednesday uber promised to improve saying it still has more work to do and we will do it.

pledging to build tools for enhanced driver screening and giving customers the instant ability to communicate with uber in an emergency. in the case of sofia lu, the driver has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and the family is suing uber. riders say it's easy to use, but experts believe if safety becomes an issue that convenience will take a backseat. janet shamlian, nbc news, san francisco. we are back after a break tonight with the news for anyone who's ever dozed off in front of the television and missed what they were watching.

californians have had their fill of bad news and struggles lately, but this is about something good. it has to do with the color green and it's visible from space. here's the central valley back in october. it's a sea of brown as the drought reached emergency proportions. but look here. let's slide in the image from this week. and what do we see? green in the valley, snow in the sierras. it came at a cost. those big storms. but in a state that produces so

much for the rest of us, it's a welcome sight indeed. vladimir putin doesn't give press conferences often. in fact, he gives just one a year. and they are epic events. today's ran three hours. the highlights, he says, it will take two years, best case, for russia to pull out of this economic slump. putin tossed off a comment about one reporter overindulging in holiday cheer since he appeared to slur his words. turns out the man is recovering from a stroke. and putin talked about his love life. he's recently divorced, he's been linked to a champion gymnast. on that topic he only would say he loves someone and someone loves him and as he put it "so don't worry, everything is good." they don't recommend whistle-blowing for a living, but one man, edward o'donnell, a former countrywide financial executive is collecting over $57 million for helping the feds force bank of america into a record penalty payout of over $16 billion following the shoddy

mortgages and shaky security era that led to the financial meltdown. many people are worried that science and modern conveniences may mean we'll never get off the couch. and we may never have to move at all. case and point, a prototype from virgin media in the uk. it's a wristband with a finger sensor that can tell when you doze off while watching tv. and then it will record the rest of the show you were watching, which we suppose could include "nightly news," but we can't imagine losing any one of you for even a moment. when we come back on a thursday night, it's a college basketball team but somehow the mvp happens to be an elementary student.

"making a difference," brought to you by alka-seltzer night plus liquid gels. finally here tonight, once you reach the college level in basketball, a game of leaps and bounds, you don't often see many players under five-foot. but take the man you're about to meet named carter gates. it's not his height that's remarkable, it's his age. he's only 9 years old. already though he's fulfilling his college hoop dreams. his story tonight from nbc's harry smith.

>> reporter: 9-year-old carter gates is one of those kids who always seems to have a smile on his face. and the guys who played basketball at colorado college will tell you he's got a lot of spunk. they know because he's on their team. >> the colorado college tigers select carter gates. [ applause ] >> reporter: team impact selects college teams from all over the country with children in their community who have life threatening or chronic diseases. once the connection was made, what happens is amazing. you get to sit on the bench? >> yeah. like out -- yeah. >> reporter: during the games? >> yeah. >> reporter: with the team? >> yeah. >> reporter: who gets to do that? >> me. >> reporter: the tigers have completely embraced carter. he's about halfway through a grueling three-year treatment regimen for leukemia. is it tough being you sometimes? >> sometimes. >> reporter: yeah?

>> uh-huh. >> reporter: what's the hardest part? >> well, just like sometimes i have to be stuck in the hospital. it's not very fun. >> reporter: but this sure is. carter has fans in the stands as he warms up for the big game. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: and there he was for the tipoff. and look who scored the first basket. james is a team captain. >> he's bringing us perspective. he's bringing us a smile. and he's just bringing us a new way to look at life. a better way to look at life. >> reporter: carter's mom, kelly, says all of this has been a blessing for her whole family. >> giving us something to do that has nothing to do with cancer. it's just fun for everyone. which is something that we need. >> reporter: that night the tigers came back from 11 points down to win the game. do you think you help the team? >> yeah. >> reporter: how? >> because they say i'm their good luck charm. >> reporter: quite honestly,

it's hard to tell who is helping who more. harry smith, nbc news, colorado springs. that's our broadcast on a thursday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we of course hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. nbc bay area news starts now. >> california is a better place than it was 12 years ago. >> right now at 6:00, a departure in the midst of scandal. the 12-year run of one of the most powerful power brokers in the state of california comes to an end. good evening. thanks for joining us. i'm janelle wang in for raj mathai. >> and i'm jessica aguirre. for more than two years we investigated the president of the public utilities commission. michael peevey. we have exposed his free travel, his close ties of the utilities he regulates and the e-mail that brought him down.

>> nba area's chief investigative reporter tony kovaleski was at his last meeting today and joins us with his last words. >> reporter: i think it's fair to say it was somewhat bizarre, a celebration of a career for a man by now all indications forced out by accusations of getting too close with the utilities he is charged with regulating. there was praise, criticism in an unexpected final moment. >> your name now has gained the same levels of folks like the pope and ali. >> reporter: friends and followers compare michael peevey to icons of the past and present. more than two hours of high praise for a legacy that now ends in scandal. >> you have a target because you challenge the status quo. >> critics may say what they will. but from the financial community's perspective, there is no doubt that you are leaving the cpuc, its utilities, its customers, and the environment in far better shape today than when you entered office. r