Barbara Bush in Houston hospital

Barbara Bush in Houston hospital

HOUSTON

Former first lady Barbara Bush has been hospitalized in Houston with a respiratory-related issue.

A statement Tuesday night from the office of her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, said she was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital on Monday.

The statement says the 88-year-old is “in great spirits” and is getting “fantastic care.” The statement says she’s received visits from her husband and family.

The statement said updates will be issued when warranted.

Kim boasts of removal of ‘filth’

SEOUL, South Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un today boasted of a surge of internal strength in the new year because of the elimination of “factionalist filth” — a reference to his once-powerful uncle and mentor, whose purge and execution last month have raised questions about the country’s stability.

Kim’s comments in an annual New Year’s message, including those focusing on one of the biggest political developments in Pyongyang in years, and certainly since the young leader took power two years ago after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, will be scrutinized closely by outside analysts and governments for clues about the opaque country’s intentions and policy goals.

Woman crushed to death by drawbridge

BOSTON

A woman walking across a Boston drawbridge was crushed to death Tuesday after an operator raising the bridge for a boat to pass heard her screams and lowered it, accidentally trapping her between the two plates, investigators said.

The woman was crossing the bridge about noon when a bridge operator, not aware that she was on the bridge, began raising it for the boat in the Chelsea River. The woman grabbed hold of one of the sides of the bridge, and the operator immediately lowered it when he heard her scream, but she became trapped in between the plates and suffered massive trauma, police said.

Vitamin E might slow Alzheimer’s

Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease — the first time any treatment has been shown to alter the course of dementia at that stage.

In a study of more than 600 older veterans, high doses of the vitamin delayed the decline in daily living skills, such as making meals, getting dressed and holding a conversation, by about six months over a two-year period.

The benefit was equivalent to keeping one major skill that otherwise would have been lost, such as being able to bathe without help. For some people, that could mean living independently rather than needing a nursing home.

Vitamin E did not preserve thinking abilities, though, and it did no good for patients who took it with another Alzheimer’s medication.

Obama closes out ’13 in low-key fashion

HONOLULU

President Barack Obama closed out 2013 in low-key fashion Tuesday, hitting the beach with his family at a popular Hawaii snorkeling spot before making a stop for shave ice, a favorite treat of the island-born president.

For Obama, New Year’s Eve marks the end of a difficult year marred by the troubled rollout of his health care law and little progress on the rest of his domestic agenda. The White House is hoping for better results to come in 2014, particularly as the health law’s insurance benefits take effect today.

The White House said the president planned to stay at home Tuesday night and ring in the new year with friends and family.

Associated Press