WASHINGTON

BUSH’S APPROVAL RATING REBOUNDS

President Bush’s approval rating has surged in the wake of last week’s elections in Iraq, reversing what had been an extended period of decline, with Americans now expressing renewed optimism about the future of democracy in Iraq, the campaign against terrorism, and the American economy, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News Poll.

Mr. Bush’s overall approval rating rose to 47%, up from 39% in early November, with 52% saying they disapprove of how he is handling his job. His approval rating on Iraq jumped 10 percentage points since early November to 46%, while his rating on the economy rose 11 percentage points to 47%. A clear majority, 56%, said they approve of the way Mr. Bush is handling the fight against terrorism – a traditional strong point in his reputation that nonetheless had flagged to 48% in the November poll.

– The Washington Post

HEARTBURN, ULCER DRUGS LINKED TO RISE OF INTESTINAL INFECTIONS

Popular drugs that treat stomach ulcers such as AstraZeneca Plc’s Nexium may be linked to a rise in intestinal infections in the America, Britain, and Canada, according to a research study presented yesterday.

People infected with Clostridium difficile, an intestinal germ that can cause severe diarrhea were almost three times more likely than healthy people to be taking one of the big-selling heartburn drugs, said Sandra Dial, an epidemiologist at McGill University Health Center in Montreal.

Millions of people worldwide take the drugs, called proton-pump inhibitors, to treat a condition known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, which occurs when stomach acid flows into the esophagus, causing heartburn and ulcers. The drugs may be raising patients’ risk of a severe bacterial infection that has increased quickly in frequency, Ms. Dial said yesterday.

– Bloomberg News

BUSH VOWS TO CONTINUE DOMESTIC SURVEILLANCE

President Bush, brushing aside bipartisan criticism in Congress, said yesterday he approved spying on suspected terrorists without court orders because it was “a necessary part of my job to protect” Americans from attack.

The president said he would continue the program “for so long as the nation faces the continuing threat of an enemy that wants to kill American citizens,” and added it included safeguards to protect civil liberties. Mr. Bush bristled at a yearend news conference when asked whether there are any limits on presidential power in wartime. He also challenged Senate Democratic Leader Reid and Senator Clinton, without naming them, to allow a final vote on legislation renewing the anti-terror Patriot Act. The legislation has cleared the House, but Senate Democrats have blocked final passage, and its prospects are uncertain in the final days of the congressional session.

– Associated Press

SMOKING DOWN, PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE UP AMONG TEENS

Cigarette smoking is at its lowest level in a survey of teenagers and use of illicit drugs has been declining, but continuing high rates of abuse for prescription painkillers remain a worry, the government reported yesterday.

In the study, 9.5% of 12th-graders reported using the painkiller Vicodin and 5.5% reported using OxyContin in the past year. Long-term trends show a significant increase in the abuse of OxyContin from 2002 to 2005 among 12th-graders.

– Associated Press

FBI: MURDER RATE UP, OTHER CRIMES DECLINE IN EARLY 2005

The nation’s murder rate jumped 2% during the first six months of this year, with the highest increases in small towns and the Midwest, the FBI said yesterday. Crime fell nationwide for other significant offenses, including rape, arson, and assault.

After a dramatic decline in the number of murders last year, when the murder rate fell 5.7%, it ticked upward 2.1% between January and June. Citing figures collected under its uniform crime reports, the FBI said cities with fewer than 10,000 people saw the largest increases, of 13%. Rapes nationwide fell nearly 5%, and arson crimes fell nearly 6%. Property crimes, which include burglary, larceny, and vehicle thefts, declined overall 2.8%. Assault fell just under 1%.

– Associated Press