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'All the children had bullet wounds. All the children were bleeding'
They were just kids. Taliban gunmen stormed a Pakistan school today and fired indiscriminately, massacring 141 people, most of them children. The school is a military-run facility in the city of Peshawar for students in grades 1-10. A Taliban spokesman said the attack was revenge for the killings of Taliban members by Pakistani authorities. Peshawar sits near the border with Afghanistan, the primary base of operations for the Taliban. Student Abdullah Jamal, who was shot in the leg, said he was with a group of 8th-, 9th- and 10th-graders who were getting first-aid training with Pakistani army medics when the attack began. For the first few seconds, nobody knew what was happening, he said. "Then I saw children falling down who were crying and screaming. I also fell down. I learned later that I have got a bullet," he said from his hospital bed. "All the children had bullet wounds. All the children were bleeding." #PrayForPeshawar
Jeb Bush may ask you to extend his family's presidential dynasty
The Republican establishment likely has its first candidate for 2016. Jeb Bush made a surprise announcement Tuesday that he will "actively explore" a 2016 presidential bid, giving his strongest signal yet about wanting to follow his father and brother to the White House (see how "actively explore" became the new "conscious uncoupling"). The move forces his potential rivals to take a good look at their own decisions about timing, strategy and tactics. And that's particularly true for those likely to be favored by the GOP establishment, such as 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who will need to decide soon whether they're in or out.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush announces on Facebook he will "actively explore" a potential presidential run for 2016. Linda So reports.
Video provided by Reuters Newslook
Kim K. for sure did not break the Internet in 2014
Not only did Kim Kardashian not #breaktheinternet, she wasn't even the most searched celeb. Google has broken down its top trending searches around the world for 2014 and found that J-Law was the celeb you searched for the most (we're sure she has mixed feelings about that). Kardashian did take the top wedding spot, beating out George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin. But hey, Babs just named Alamuddin the most fascinating person of 2014, so she still wins everything. Google says that in the U.S., Robin Williams was the top overall search with his August death, followed by the World Cup and Ebola.
Grab your Xanax now because this holiday travel season may be the worst ever
National holiday travel is expected to set a record this season. You can scream into that pillow now. Auto-club giant AAA projects that nearly 99 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles by car or air, up 4% from 94.8 million a year ago and the highest since AAA began keeping records in 2001. The economy is improving, the lowest gas prices in five years are spurring more road trips, and some companies are giving us an extra paid day off Dec. 26 (huzzah) — a combination that could make this a really busy holiday season for travel. Are you sure you don't want to host instead?
AAA is predciting that the holiday season will bring the busiest travel time on record.
Sony hackers threaten 9/11-like attack on movie theaters showing 'The Interview'
The Sony hackers story has taken a new and more ominous turn. A message from the Guardians of Peace group warns of a 9/11-like attack on movie theaters that screen Seth Rogen and James Franco's The Interview, a comedy about an assassination attempt on Kim Jong Un, North Korea's leader. "The world will be full of fear," the message reads, according to Variety and Buzzfeed, adding, "Remember the 11th of September 2001." Also today, two former employees filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles over the leaks, which contained sensitive employee information, among other things, many of which the company has found embarrassing.
Seth Rogen and James Franco, who play the simpleton journalists at the heart of 'The Interview,' tell USA TODAY what it feels like to promote a movie that is in the middle of a hacking scandal. VPC
Other news you may have missed: The latest on the tragic slayings in Pennsylvania (former Marine Bradley William Stone, suspected in the deaths, was found dead); what's going on with Russia's ruble and with the plunge in oil prices; and how much water California needs to crawl out of its drought.
Extra Bites
Day in Pictures: Our favorite photo from today's gallery.
A person kneels near a Christmas light display in Nice, France.(Photo: Valery Hache, AFP/Getty Images)
Have you seen it? A mom calls C-SPAN to yell at her bickering sons. It's only the best thing you'll see all day.
Political pundits Brad and Dallas Woodhouse fundamentally disagree on everything and their mom had to step in and set them straight live on the air. Gillian Pensavalle (@GillianWithaG) has the video.
Video provided by Buzz60 Newslook
ICYMI: Lauren Hill, the college basketball player suffering from incurable cancer, says she will "never give up."
Rudolph's rare cousin is in danger. This is why.
Did you read that New York magazine story about a senior at Stuyvesant High School who made $72 million trading stocks? Yea, not true.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Meet the 2015 class.
Tiger Woods has finally opened the first golf course with his signature on it.
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Today in Christmas: One weird tradition you may find hard to stomach.
Holiday lights: Share your Hanukkah photos and traditions with us!
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This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.
Contributing: Catalina Camia, David Jackson, Brett Molina, Ann Oldenburg, Jane Onyanga-Omara, John Bacon, Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY; Kyle Iboshi, KGW-TV, Portland, Ore.; Dawn Gilbertson, The Arizona Republic
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