•Rice testifies for nearly 10 hours: "The time for diplomacy is now." Boxer: "Your loyalty to the mission...overwhelmed your respect for the truth." [WP, NYTLAT, LAT]

• Conservatives irked by Bush's lack of aggression on marriage amendment. Focus on the Family flack: "I am sure [White House] phone lines are lighting up all over." [WP]

•Thomas (R-Calif.) joins chorus of critics over Social Security plan, says partisanship is killing important opportunity; proposes gender-adjusted benefits. [WP, NYT]

• Six members of Senate Intelligence Committee fired in Republican shakeup. [LAT]

•Gonzales denounces torture by U.S. personnel, but declines specifics; supports extension of assualt weapons ban. [WP, NYT, WT]

•Bush advocates economic sanctions against Chinese firms working with Iran. [WP]

•Leavitt, at confirmation hearings, says FDA needs leadership. [WP, NYT]

•Kerry, at Rice hearing, makes jokes and swings: "You know, we went in to rescue Iraq from Saddam Hussein, now I think we have to rescue our policy from ourselves." [NYT]

• NASA scholar: "In my more than three decades in government, I have never seen anything approaching the degree to which information flow from scientists to the public has been screened and controlled as it has now." [WP]

• Social Security hotline encourages changes. [WP]