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Today’s top stories

The Trump administration is rolling back federal fuel-economy standards for new vehicles. American automakers will now be required to improve the efficiency of their fleets by up to 1% a year, aiming for an average of 34.9 miles per gallon by 2031 — down from the Biden-era target of 50.4 mpg.

• 🎧 Automakers praised the new standards, saying they better reflect current market demand. NPR’s Willa Rubin tells Up First that critics warn lower fuel efficiency could raise long-term fuel costs and pollution, while U.S. automakers also risk falling behind competitors in markets moving faster toward electric vehicles.

Warning: The next story describes sexual violence.

New York prosecutors are reopening a 2024 alleged rape case involving Cornell University students. A woman identified as Jane Doe says in a new lawsuit that 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. No criminal charges were filed at the time.

• 🎧 NPR’s Brian Mann says 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.

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. President Trump has questioned why the men were released.

• 🎧 NPR’s Lauren Frayer reports 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. Incidentally, Frayer notes that this is an area where residents say there have been thefts of diesel fuel and fertilizer, which is linked to the war with Iran pushing up prices.

Turkey is positioning itself for a bigger role in the Middle East as questions grow about the U.S. security footprint in the region. Ankara is expanding its military and political reach, but economic pressures and rising tensions with Israel could limit those ambitions. Syria has also 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

Journalist Evan Gershkovich arrives at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, on Thursday, Aug 1.

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

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Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

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. Listen to the full interview here.