When you start the week with little or no actual news but plenty of snarling, it kinda makes you want a nature break. I’m thinking about heading to the Monterey Bay to watch the baby seals.

Here are some mid-day news/views bites with varying levels of crispiness:

* Glenn Beck still flogging “Saudi National” angle on Boston bombings.

* The Atlantic‘s Conor Friedersdorf argues second wind for GWOT hawks shouldn’t obscure fact that their prescriptions have all pretty much proved to be disastrous.

* Sequestration furloughs beginning to kick in: viz. fact that 80% of OMB staffers out today.

* At TNR, Jeffrey Rosen deplores Obama administration’s past and present undermining of Miranda protections.

* Senate immigration hearing off to fine start as Schumer and Grassey get into shouting match over relevance of Boston bombings.

And in non-political news:

* Sporting News rates Ryan Leaf biggest NFL Draft bust of them all.

Back after my baby seal break.

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Ed Kilgore is a political columnist for New York and managing editor at the Democratic Strategist website. He was a contributing writer at the Washington Monthly from January 2012 until November 2015, and was the principal contributor to the Political Animal blog.