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Morning Rundown

Middle East: The volatility across the Middle East and North Africa continues to snowball at a breakneck pace.

Middle East: The volatility across the Middle East and North Africa continues to snowball at a breakneck pace. This morning we're watching Libya, home to weekend violence so intense it caused Muammar Gaddafi's son to make a rare TV appearance warning protestors that their actions threatened to drag the country into civil war. A human rights group now puts the number of dead in that country's uprising at over 200. (WSJ: Libya Death Toll Surges in Crackdown)

Wisco Budget Battle: The civil unrest back stateside, meanwhile, shows no signs of dying down with the governor of Wisconsin refusing to compromise on the most controversial aspects of his budget bill as citizens begin a second week camping out in the state Capitol. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Strategies Take Shape)

Pirates: We're also closely monitoring developments in the Arabian Sea, where a pirate-hijacked yacht with four American hostages on board continues to steam toward an unknown fate in the direction of the Somali coast. (Seattle Times: Hijacked Couple 'Thought They Would Be OK')

Weather: A powerful reminder that it's still winter is chugging across the Midwest, headed for the Northeast and crippling morning commutes in its path. (Star Tribune: A White World, Once More)

Royal Wedding: The invitations – all 1900 of them – are officially in the mail for the royal wedding, now just over two months away. In: David Beckham and Posh Spice. Out: The Obamas.