Automakers praise rollback; critics cite fuel costs and EV lag

The Trump administration has rolled back federal fuel-economy standards for new vehicles, requiring American automakers to improve fleet efficiency by up to 1% per year and targeting an average of 34.9 miles per gallon by 2031. The target replaces the Biden-era goal of 50.4 mpg, according to NPR’s Up First newsletter for September 29.

Automakers welcomed the change as better reflecting current market demand, NPR reported. NPR’s Willa Rubin told the Up First podcast that critics warned lower fuel efficiency could raise long-term fuel costs and pollution. She also reported that U.S. automakers risk falling behind competitors in markets moving faster toward electric vehicles.

Five British men released on bail after alleged terror offenses

Five British men have been released on bail after being detained near a military base for alleged terror offenses. The British base is used by the U.S. military for strikes on Iran, and President Trump has questioned why the men were released.

NPR’s Lauren Frayer reported that British counterterrorism officials are still trying to determine why the men were near the base and whether they may have been acting as proxies for a foreign state, knowingly or unknowingly. Iran denies involvement. British officials are urging the public not to speculate.

Frayer noted that residents in the area have reported thefts of diesel fuel and fertilizer, which she said is linked to the war with Iran pushing up prices.

Prosecutors reopen 2024 alleged Cornell rape case

New York prosecutors are reopening a 2024 alleged rape case involving Cornell University students. According to a new lawsuit filed by a woman identified as Jane Doe, multiple men drugged and raped her at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. Cornell has defended its response, saying it conducted a months-long Title IX investigation, and no criminal charges were filed at the time.

NPR’s Brian Mann reported that Cornell’s handling of the case has drawn renewed scrutiny. Campus police investigated the allegations, but local police say they were never notified. Students and recent graduates told NPR they remain concerned about sexual violence and campus safety.

Turkey positions for bigger Middle East role as US footprint questioned

Turkey is positioning itself for a bigger role in the Middle East as questions grow about the U.S. security footprint in the region, NPR reported. Ankara is expanding its military and political reach, but economic pressures and rising tensions with Israel could limit those ambitions. Syria has become a key test, with Turkey playing a growing role in reconstruction and security as Israel pushes back against its expanding influence.

Today’s listen: Gershkovich on 16 months in Russian prison

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich became the story when Russia arrested him on espionage charges while he was reporting. He spent 16 months in prison before being convicted and released in a prisoner swap. Gershkovich tells NPR’s Leila Fadel that he turned to what he knew: listening, observing and writing. His prison journals became the backbone of his memoir, “This Cursed Beautiful Land: A Russian-American Story.”

He also reflects on the strange reversal of being a journalist accustomed to observing others — and suddenly becoming the person everyone was watching.

Behind the story: Here & Now’s Alaska climate project

A flood happens like clockwork every summer in Juneau, Alaska, according to Here & Now host-correspondent Peter O’Dowd. When the weather warms up, a reservoir in the mountains above the city fills with billions of gallons of melted ice and eventually breaks past the glacial dam holding it back.

O’Dowd, based in Arizona, said he has been watching from afar every year since 2023, when the glacial outburst flood ripped houses into the raging Mendenhall River. The story is personal: his in-laws are from Juneau, and they live in the floodzone.

That connection is why O’Dowd said it felt like time to bring Here & Now’s climate-solutions project, Reverse Course, to what he called the last frontier. While climate change is threatening lives and livelihoods around the globe, no state in the country has warmed faster than Alaska, O’Dowd reported.

Along with fellow climate journalist Chris Bentley, O’Dowd boarded small planes, ferries and helicopters to get a close-up view of the risks facing the state. Bentley met people from the Chilkat Indian Village in Klukwan who are working to create a warning system for landslides triggered by heavy rain. O’Dowd spoke with Juneau residents racing to protect the city from glacial floods that are likely to last another 20 years, or more.

This summer, O’Dowd’s in-laws’ house and the rest of Juneau stayed dry. But about two weeks after they left town, a landslide triggered by a collapsing glacier ripped through mountain villages in Nepal and Tibet. While the scale of the devastation was beyond anything experienced in Alaska, the underlying truth remains: a warming planet is destabilizing ice sheets around the world. The hazards are getting closer to home.

Three things to know before you go

  • A 300-year-old Mexican musical tradition is spreading worldwide with lively fandango gatherings where people play, sing and dance. In Veracruz, “La Bamba” is still played every hour.
  • Oura, the smart-ring maker known for tracking sleep and heart rate, is set to go public this week in an IPO that could value the company at about $15 billion.
  • SpaceX’s 171-foot Starship circled Earth for the first time, a major milestone, but returned early after engine problems cut the test flight short.

The newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi. Suzanne Nuyen contributed.