Republicans retreated Tuesday from several battleground House races as Democrats raced to boost their candidates. The Congressional Leadership Fund canceled spending in four districts while increasing investments elsewhere. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s drone makers worry about their heavy reliance on Chinese electronics, fearing the government could restrict access to these critical parts.
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Welcome to Morning Wire. If you have been following the Kelly Clarkson and Brooklyn store beef, read how it's become a case study in the power of celebrity. Also in the news today: Battle lines shift in House races as Republicans retreat from front-line districts; the Chinese tech in Ukraine's drone arsenal; and a Six Flags death in Georgia draws attention on theme park safety.
Battle lines shift in House races as Republicans retreat from front-line districts
Republicans were retreating Tuesday from a handful of battleground U.S. House races while Democrats were racing to raise money to boost candidates who seemed like long shots earlier this year. Read more.
What to know:
* The Congressional Leadership Fund, the leading House Republican super PAC, canceled spending in four races from the Midwest to the East Coast and increased its investment in 16 other races. Meanwhile, Democrats' House campaign committee is eyeing openings in Republican-held districts and hoping to raise millions of dollars in the next week to fuel a late round of advertising that they say could net at least a half dozen more seats. The shifting money in the final three weeks of midterm campaigns points to an increasingly defensive posture by Republicans.
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The not-so-secret vulnerability in Ukraine's drone arsenal? Chinese technology
Ukraine has become a global leader in military drone innovation, enabling its forces to grind a much larger enemy to a stalemate. But this has come with an unsettling vulnerability: Ukrainian drone makers are highly dependent on electronics made by China, a key Russian ally. Read more.
What to know:
* Ukraine's greatest fear is that the Chinese government could restrict its access to these critical parts. It also worries that Russian defense companies that need these same supplies could be given preferential treatment by Chinese factories. Over the past two years, Ukraine has sought to break its dependence on China but cannot do so entirely, whose lower costs and vastly greater production capacity cannot be matched by allied suppliers.
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Roller coaster rider's death puts spotlight on the safety of ever more thrilling rides
The horrific death of Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, who was ejected from the Six Flags Goliath in Georgia, is drawing attention to the safety of amusement park rides that have become increasingly faster and steeper in their quest for the biggest thrill. Read more.
What to know:
* Even so, deaths on roller coasters are still extremely rare, Georgia officials have said little about what happened Monday. In the U.S., roller coasters and other rides at major amusement parks such as Six Flags are not regulated by the federal government. That responsibility falls to states. Some say this has led to an inconsistent patchwork of rules where some states have strict regulations, while others have little to no oversight.
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WATCH: Experts say Six Flags will be under heavy scrutiny after roller coaster death
A list of US roller coaster fatalities dating back to 2003
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Ming-Na Wen's recipe for 'Popo's Wontons' is as good as gold in her family
I recently introduced frozen store bought gyoza's to my eastern European mother, who is now obsessed (and, I fear, maybe on the verge of coming up with a questionable Slavic-Japanese fusion dish). So it was nice to read about Ming-Na Wen's Chinese "Popo's Wontons," which she made with her own mother. Wen, an actor and self-described restaurant kid, now makes them with her own children. (Popo means grandmother in Chinese). It includes ginger, shrimp, greens and ground meat. Read the full recipe here, from her new cookbook, "Have you eaten yet?"