UK Terror Plot Investigation, Trump's Fuel Efficiency Rollback, Cornell Rape Case
September 29, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readUK Terror Plot Investigation, Trump's Fuel Efficiency Rollback, Cornell Rape Case
British counterterrorism officials released five men on bail Monday night after detaining them near Royal Air Force Base Fairford in the Cotswolds, a picturesque farming area about two hours from London. The base has hosted U.S. troops for decades and during the Iran War has attracted plane spotters and anti-war protesters alike. A farmer spotted suspicious vehicles driven by masked men early Sunday and called police. The suspects—British nationals aged 23 to 25 with home addresses in London—were held for less than the 14 days terror suspects can be detained without charge, suggesting investigators are considering lesser offenses alongside terrorism.
The incident produced sharply different descriptions from U.S. and British officials. President Trump initially said "we had them under investigation, and we know everything about them," implying transatlantic intelligence collaboration. Later in the Oval Office, he expressed surprise when asked about the suspects' release. Asked whether Iran was linked, Trump said it might be but he'd rather not say. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News the case "clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor" but did not name a country. London called that "malicious speculation."
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:02) **Episode Open & Host Introduction** - Layla Faudel and Steve Inskeep preview the three main stories: the UK terror plot investigation, Trump's fuel efficiency rollback, and the Cornell rape case.
- 2 (01:53) **UK Terror Plot Investigation: Differing US and UK Accounts** - Counterterrorism officials investigate masked men arrested near a British airbase used by US bombers, but also explore less serious crimes.
- 3 (03:11) **British Police: Geopolitical Context and Petty Crime Links** - The head of UK counterterrorism policing notes suspects could be proxies working "knowingly or unknowingly" for a foreign state, often visible through small-scale criminal activity.
- 4 (05:30) **Trump Administration Rolls Back Fuel Efficiency Standards** - The administration lowers Biden-era CAFE standards from 50 mpg to just under 35 mpg over the next five years, with annual efficiency gains dropping from 2% to 1%.
- 5 (07:44) **Critics Warn of Lost Innovation and Global Competition** - Lower standards risk U.S. automakers falling behind globally as China and Europe surge in EV production and sales.
- 6 (09:30) **Cornell Rape Case Reopened: New Details Emerge** - New York prosecutors reopen a criminal investigation into an alleged 2024 sexual assault at a Cornell fraternity, after a civil lawsuit reveals a more horrific account than the victim's original statement.
- 7 (10:59) **Cornell Community Expresses Anger and Frustration** - Students and alumni voice anger that the case wasn't thoroughly investigated and that campus culture hasn't changed enough to prevent sexual violence.
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Show Notes
The Trump administration is rolling back fuel efficiency standards for new cars, saying the change will lower sticker prices even as critics warn drivers could pay more over time in fuel and other costs.
And a 2024 sexual assault case at Cornell University is now under criminal investigation as the school faces growing scrutiny over how it handled the allegations.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tina Kraja, Kara Platoni, Gigi Douban, Mohamad ElBardicy and HJ Mai.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.
Our director is Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis and Patrick Murray.
Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:58) UK Terror Plot Investigation
(05:43) Trump's Fuel Efficiency Rollback
(09:43) Cornell Rape Case
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