NPR News: 09-28-2026 8PM EDT
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How is the Trump administration changing fuel economy standards for new vehicles?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. The Trump administration announced its rolling back fuel economy standards for new vehicles. Willa Rubin reports it's a step that weakens Biden-era climate policies.
The corporate average fuel economy, CAFE standards, have been around since the 70s. These require American carmakers to make each year's new vehicles more fuel efficient on average across their entire fleets. But how much more efficient? Under the Biden administration, fleets needed to get 2% more efficient every year. That meant carmakers needed to make electric vehicles, balance out their gas guzzlers. Otherwise, they were subject to a fine. That fine went away last July as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Now, a much smaller increase in fuel efficiency will be required every year. Willa Rubin, NPR News.
Why has New York reopened the investigation into sexual assault allegations at a Cornell fraternity?
A New York prosecutor has reopened an investigation into gang rape allegations at a Cornell University fraternity in response to a lawsuit filed The complaint was filed by a woman who says she was sexually assaulted in 2024 by seven students after being plied with alcohol and drugs. NPR's Brian Mann reports.
In her civil lawsuit filed this month, the woman identified as Jane Doe describes a brutal assault. She wasn't old enough to drink legally, but says she was pressured at a Chi Phi fraternity party to use alcohol and drugs. She describes then being harassed. gang-raped, often while she was incapacitated, over a period of hours. The lawsuit filing includes a screen capture of Snapchat messages between some of the men, where they appear to joke and invite others to take part. This lawsuit also accuses Cornell University of failing to properly respond to the alleged violence. I should say we don't know exactly what actions Cornell took against these individuals. The university said some were suspended or
expelled. NPR's Brian Mann reporting.
How does Ken Paxton balance border security with Texas employers’ need for immigrant workers?
Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton told a forum of the U.S. Hispanic Business Council in Fort Worth that the country needs to secure its border before allowing in more immigrants. But Paxton acknowledged that the key U.S. business sectors need more immigrants to fill open jobs, as Houston Public Media's Andrew Schneider reports.
Paxton says that the U.S. needs to pursue an America first immigration policy that benefits the people who are already here. But he says he'd spoken with farmers, ranchers and home builders who all rely on immigrant workers.
And that likely means that we have to let people in that can fulfill some of these jobs that we don't have enough people for our birth population. isn't keeping
up with demand. Paxton's Democratic opponent, State Representative James Tallarico, will address the U.S. Hispanic Business Council on Wednesday. Tallarico has been a fierce critic of both Paxton and President Trump when it comes to immigration and border security. I'm Andrew Schneider in Houston.
U.S. stocks pulled further from their record highs today. The S&P 500 fell three-quarters of a percent. This is NPR News.
Why are Democratic leaders campaigning in South Carolina ahead of the midterms?
Democrats are flocking to South Carolina to campaign for midterm candidates, even though Republicans dominate the state's politics. The Palmetto State is the first in Democrats' next presidential nominating process, so potential 2028 hopefuls are eager to visit. In the coming weeks, Democrats like California Congressman Ro Khanna, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly will all be stumping in South Carolina.
How does wildfire smoke affect birds and their ability to navigate?
The smoke billowing off of a wildfire can travel hundreds or thousands of miles. A new field of study is trying to understand how that smoke may be disturbing wild places and creatures, like birds. Here's NPR's Ari Daniel.
Having repeatedly experienced wildfire smoke herself, Olivia Sanderfoot, who's based at Cornell University, has long wanted to know how birds handle it.
It's not just about what they're inhaling, which is inevitably bad for them. It's also about how the cues that they use to navigate their world are upended when it gets smoky outside.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
How is the Trump administration changing fuel economy standards for new vehicles?
0:00–0:52
2
Why has New York reopened the investigation into sexual assault allegations at a Cornell fraternity?
0:52–1:52
3
How does Ken Paxton balance border security with Texas employers’ need for immigrant workers?
1:52–3:00
4
Why are Democratic leaders campaigning in South Carolina ahead of the midterms?
3:00–3:25
5
How does wildfire smoke affect birds and their ability to navigate?
3:25–4:20
6
Why are MLB games taking longer with the introduction of robot umpires?
4:20–4:53