According to weather.com, “over 180 incidents of severe weather” reported in U.S. yesterday. But there’s no such thing as climate change.

Here are some less-severe midday news items, most bigger, though, than golfball-sized hail.

* Prospect‘s Paul Waldman thinks the return of the Clinton Derangement Syndrome among conservatives will be a lot more powerful than a lot of us realize.

* On the same topic, The Atlantic‘s Ta-Nehisi Coates argues racism was a big motive for the demonization of Bill Clinton.

* Craig Robinson wonders if all the hog-castrating, motorcycle riding, and gun-shooting in Joni Ernst’s ads explains her persistently poor showing among women.

* At TNR Rebecca Traister makes case that return of Monica Lewinsky to public eye could actually contribute to positive discussion of significance of Hillary Clinton run.

* Fox covering unveiling of Benghazi! Select Committee like it’s the NFL draft.

And speaking of the NFL draft, in non-political news:

* Speculation spikes before draft begins tonight. Will number one be Jadeveon? Will it be Johnny Football? Will anyone care a week from now?

As we break for lunch, here’s another Byrds classic, from Sweetheart of the Rodeo: “Blue Canadian Rockies.”

Ed Kilgore

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.