UK Terror Plot Investigation, Trump's Fuel Efficiency Rollback, Cornell Rape Case

Leila Fadel (0:02)

British police released five people who had been detained near an air base.

Steve Inskeep (0:05)

The manor out on bail to the surprise of the United States. Secretary of State Rubio maintains a foreign actor was involved. What does the evidence show?

Leila Fadel (0:13)

I'm Leila Fadel, that's Steve Inskeep, and this is Up First from NPR News.

The Trump administration is rolling back fuel efficiency standards for new cars. President Biden wanted cars to average 50 miles per gallon. President Trump says that's too expensive to achieve. What does it mean for the price we pay to drive?

Steve Inskeep (0:33)

Also, prosecutors are reopening the sexual assault case involving Cornell University. A former student sued the university and seven male students. Police say her statement at the time was different, and Cornell is facing questions about how it handled the case. Stay with us, we've got the news you need to start your day.

President Trump is questioning why five men, British officials initially described as terrorist suspects, have now been released on bail.

Leila Fadel (1:05)

Today, counterterrorism officials are still investigating the masked men who were arrested in the middle of the night with suspicious vehicles near a British airbase used by US bombers striking Iran. But they're also looking at less serious crimes.

Steve Inskeep (1:19)

What's going on here? NPR's Lauren Frere is in London. Hi there, Lauren.

Lauren Frayer (1:22)

Good morning.

Steve Inskeep (1:23)

Okay, so British officials and the Trump administration seem to describe this incident differently. What are they saying?

Lauren Frayer (1:30)

Well, President Trump initially said about the suspects, quote, we had them under investigation and we know everything about them, suggesting some sort of transatlantic intelligence collaboration. Then in the Oval Office last night, he expressed surprise when asked by reporters about the suspect's release.

Steve Inskeep (1:44)

Over there, I'm surprised that they're released and I wouldn't have done that.

Sue Helper (1:48)

Well, they've been very good, they worked with us very closely.

Leila Fadel (1:51)

We know everything about them.

Steve Inskeep (1:53)

We would not have released them.

Lauren Frayer (1:55)

Trump was also asked whether Iran is linked to these suspects. He said it might be, but he'd rather not say. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also asked about this. He told Fox News it, quote, clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor, but did not name a specific country. Iran, for its part, denies any involvement. The embassy here in London calls that malicious speculation.

Steve Inskeep (2:14)

Okay, that's what the US is saying. That's what the Iranians are saying. What are the British saying?

Lauren Frayer (2:19)

That the suspects are British nationals, ranging in age from 23 to 25 Home addresses in London, couple hours drive from where this incident took place. The head of British counterterrorism policing, Lawrence Taylor, announcing the suspect's release on bail last night also noted what he called the geopolitical context. He said investigators are considering every possible angle, including that the men could be what he called proxies, working, quote, knowingly or unknowingly on behalf of a foreign state.

Lawrence Taylor (2:47)

Often this threat becomes visible to us as criminal activity, often at a small scale and committed by individuals whose primary aim is not terrorism, but a quick financial gain. It can be harder to spot.

Lauren Frayer (3:05)

So he said what looks like petty crime could actually be the work of a foreign state. He acknowledged this is confusing. He asked people not to speculate and give investigators time to figure this out. Incidentally, this is an area where residents say there's been thefts of diesel fuel and fertilizer which is linked to Iran because the Iran war has pushed up prices. Yesterday, British diesel actually hit a record high of $10 a gallon.

Steve Inskeep (3:29)

Okay. So I think Lawrence Taylor there is essentially telling us, keep an open mind. Don't assume what has happened here until more is known. So what is being learned about the scene of the suspected crime?

Lauren Frayer (3:41)

So this happened near Royal Air Force Base Fairford in the Cotswolds, a picturesque, wealthy farming area, incidentally where JD Vance has vacationed. The base has hosted US troops for decades. During the Iran war, it's attracted lots of plane spotters eager to catch a glimpse of these giant American B-1 bombers. It's also attracted anti-war protesters. So early Sunday, this all began, a farmer spotted suspicious vehicles driven by masked men. She said she called police, they intercepted them, arrested five suspects, then used a bomb disposal robot to probe the vehicles. Police have not announced that any explosives were found though. The law says terror suspects can be held 14 days without charge for lesser offenses. It's 24 hours and it's during that timeframe that these suspects were released.