UNDERNEWS
Online report of the Progressive Review. Since 1964, the news while there's still time to do something about it.
January 7, 2026
Word
Stupid Trump stuff
Amtrak cutting rates for late Janaruy and much of February
What Is Amtrak’s Big City Savings Sale?
Amtrak has launched the limited-time sale—which started on January 5, 2026—by reducing the cost of adult coach class fares by up to 30 percent on trains running between Boston and Washington, D.C., including all cities served along the route.
Passengers must book their travel tickets by January 9 for journeys taking place from January 20 through February 12, 2026.
The discounts are only available for coach class tickets on Northeast Regional and other eligible trains operating along the corridor; Acela and NextGen Acela services are excluded from the sale.
Sample one-way fares include Boston to Providence for $20, Boston to New York City for $59, New York to Philadelphia for $36, and Washington, D.C. to Manhattan for $59, according to Amtrak's official announcement.
Amtrak also states that customers booking during the sale can also enroll in the free Amtrak Guest Rewards program, where they can earn points for all travel—including bonus points for business class and Acela first class bookings—that can be redeemed for reward trips, upgrades, and exclusive lounge access.
Boys living with their parents
The Guardian - Are boys becoming men later? In recent decades, the markers of adulthood have shifted for young American men: they are almost twice as likely to be single, less likely to go to college and more likely to be unemployed. Most significantly for their parents, they are also less likely to have fled the nest, with the term “trad son” springing into social media lexicon in recent months. In the 1970s, only 8% of Americans aged 25 to 34 were living with their parents, but by 2023, that figure had jumped to 18%, with men more likely to live at home than women, according to a Pew survey.
States with the most Indians in the US:
Health
The erasure of Janaury 6
It’s been five years since a mob of thousands of Donald Trump supporters—which included Christian nationalists, white supremacists, neo-Nazis, Confederate flag wavers, militia members, and other extremists—assaulted the US Capitol to try to halt the peaceful transfer of power from an outgoing president to an incoming president. The basic facts are well established: Trump refused to accept legitimate election results. He falsely claimed he had won the 2020 contest and spread baseless lies and conspiracy theories about the election. He spent weeks scheming to overturn the election and remain in power. Promoting these falsehoods, he incited that insurrectionist attack on Congress in which more than 140 law enforcement officers were injured. While the melee was occurring, he abandoned his duty to defend the Constitution and waited 187 minutes before calling on his brownshirts to leave the Capitol. More
Meanwhile. . .
Fun history
Ask Baby - When Einstein took the train from Princeton University, a conductor boarded to check passengers' tickets. When he reached Einstein, he began searching his jacket pockets for his ticket but couldn't find it. He then looked in his trouser pockets, then in his small carry-on suitcase, without success. Finally, he started looking on the seat next to him…
Seeing this, the controller said to him:
— Dr. Einstein, I know who you are, everyone here knows you, and I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry.
Einstein nodded in gratitude. The conductor continued punching the tickets of the other passengers, but as he was about to move into the next carriage, he saw Einstein on his knees, searching under his seat for his ticket.
Intrigued, the controller returned to the great physicist and said to him:
— As I told you, we all know who you are, it's not a problem, so please drop this ticket!
Einstein then looked up at him and replied:
— Thank you, young man, I too know who I am. But what I don't know is where I'm going! That's why I keep looking for my ticket!
Does US even need to buy Greenland to accomplish Trump's goals
Over 99% of Epstein files have not been made public
NPR recalls Jan 6
To learn more, explore NPR's database of federal criminal cases from Jan. 6. You can also see more of NPR's reporting on the topic.
Co-ops
Politics
The midterms do have big stakes, and the months leading up to them are likely to show off the conflicting opinions within the House GOP about what kind of priorities to pursue.
The midterms threaten to end the GOP’s control of Congress, and the Republicans’ razor-thin majority is a reminder of how easily it could be lost this fall.
"You got to win the midterms. Because if we don’t win the midterms … they’ll find a reason to impeach me,” Trump said.
Justices Trigger Policy Earthquake
Venezuela
Time - The United Nations on Tuesday said the action from the U.S. has made “all States less safe around the world.” This follows significant criticism and caution from world leaders regarding the Venezuela operation. Furthermore, since Saturday’s pre-dawn raid in Caracas, Trump has threatened that the U.S. may carry out interventions elsewhere in the world, prompting further concern and disapproval.
The Hill - Days after a daring military operation to seize its leader, President Trump’s gambit for Venezuela’s massive oil reserves is coming into focus. That, and the future of Venezuela, are raising questions on Capitol Hill.
The U.S. on Wednesday also seized two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the North Atlantic. One vessel was flying a Russian flag.
Trump plans to meet later this week with American oil executives, a senior White House official confirmed to NewsNation, as he pushes for investment in the South American nation’s oil industry.
Meanwhile, Greenland has also found itself again in Trump’s crosshairs, resulting in quick pushback from European leaders and even some GOP senators. Here’s what you need to know.
Axios - Forget talk about elections and democracy in Venezuela. The Trump administration has a simple goal there: Back a pro-U.S. government — and prop it up with millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil.
The plan hinges on the U.S. taking de facto control of oil production in Venezuela, which may have the largest crude reserves in the world but has been crippled by the twin forces of kleptocracy and U.S. sanctions....
President Trump announced yesterday on Truth Social that the U.S. would receive as many as 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil from Venezuela, worth about $2.5 billion. Venezuela would share in the profits from the sale, Trump said...
Trump's announcement yesterday came at a crucial time for Venezuela's petrol-funded government. It's teetering on economic collapse, partly because of a U.S. blockade of most oil tankers leaving the country, sent there to pressure Maduro to leave office...
The toppling of Maduro was a surgical strike that left the rest of his socialist regime in place in Caracas, an effort to keep it stable. Some members of Venezuela's opposition have continued to press for fair elections after widespread voter fraud has kept Maduro in power....
Friday's meeting is expected to include representatives from Chevron, Exxon and ConocoPhillips, the Wall Street Journal reports. And Energy Secretary Chris Wright will meet with several companies at an industry conference in Miami today, a spokesman said. Full Story
The Hill - The U.S. has seized another oil tanker linked to Venezuela. The U.S. European Command said Wednesday on the social platform X that the Defense Department, in conjunction with the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security, seized the M/V Bella 1 ship in the North Atlantic “for violations of U.S. sanctions.” This marks the third such vessel the U.S. has captured in the last month. It also comes less than a week after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
