Secretary of State nominee Sen. Kerry testifies at Senate confirmation hearing

"In a confirmation hearing unusual for its bipartisan comity, Secretary of State-designate [Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.)] pledged Thursday to pursue a different brand of foreign policy -- one rooted in greater cultural understanding of the developing world -- while leading a global fight to combat climate change, which he described as a direct threat to American security," the Boston Globe reports. "Kerry drew praise from Republicans and Democrats as he spoke," the newspaper writes, noting, "Senators nodded to his deep knowledge of overseas challenges, which Kerry said require more active diplomacy to advance U.S. economic and security interests" (Bender/Uberti, 1/24). "U.S. foreign policy is defined by more than military intervention abroad and the fight against terrorism, he said, calling for consensus on promoting American leadership on matters ranging from food security to climate change," according to the Washington Post (Gearan, 1/24).