Open Windows & Clay Jones

Historical Vision by Clay Jones

Don’t let fascists rewrite history Read on Substack

The Trump regime sent a letter to the Smithsonian Institution on Tuesday, requesting/demanding a “comprehensive internal review” of eight of its museums to bring the organization in line with Trump’s cultural directives ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations

The letter reads, This initiative aims to ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.

The museums are the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

What will these reviews determine? That the African American History Museum is too Black? This is more fascism.

The letter also stated, “Within 120 days, museums should begin implementing content corrections where necessary, replacing divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate, and constructive descriptions across placards, wall didactics, digital displays, and other public-facing materials.”

The beatings will continue until morale improves. (snip-you bet there’s MORE)

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Lock him up by Ann Telnaes

Crimes against democracy Read on Substack

The news media keep referring to Trump’s law & order agenda, which sets off my irony antenna. How about also mentioning in this coverage that Trump is a convicted felon and seditious ex-president who violated his sacred oath of office?

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Deep State Sandwich by Clay Jones

And this is why we can’t have $5-dollar foot longs anymore. Read on Substack

One of the editors who receives my cartoons wrote me today saying that he didn’t understand this cartoon, and would wait for the blog to explain it. Then he followed that with, “Hey, did you hear about the WNBA dildo throwers? Dude…

Anyhoos… Cops in Washington, DC have arrested a man who viciously attacked Border Patrol…with a Subway footlong sandwich. Maybe, if he had just thrown a 6-incher, there wouldn’t have been any ruckus over it, and Pam Bondi would have only charged him with a misdemeanor or would have been given a simple citation.

Baghdad wasn’t filled with violent insurgents until the US military invaded in 2003. It wasn’t long after the occupation of Iraq began that the terrorists showed up to kill Yankee devils, and I’m not talking about the Red Sox. Now, people who wanted to kill Americans didn’t have to travel so far.

W and Cheney promised a quick war, and they were right in that Saddam’s military was defeated in short order, but they ignored us when we told them the real fight would come after. Remember when they claimed we would be “greeted as liberators?” Yeah.

And you can say that cops weren’t being assaulted with sandwiches before Trump ordered the federalization of Washington, DC. Federalizing DC has not been greeted with warmth. It’s been greeted with derision and Subway sandwiches. I hope it wasn’t an Italian BMT. Those are my favorites. Remember the crab salad sub? What happened to those?

On Wednesday night, around 11 p.m., a man approached several Border Patrol officers in Washington, DC, in front of a Subway sandwich shop. Sean Charles Dun, the sandwich guy, reportedly called the heavily armed officers “fucking fascists,” yelling, “I don’t want you in my city!” before hurling a wrapped Subway sandwich at the chest of a Border Patrol cop, which bounced off his riot gear harmlessly. Kash Patel, a joke of an FBI director (this doesn’t help), shared a video of the incident. Dunn was later caught, “I did it. I threw a sandwich.”

The video is hilarious as you watch several cops chase a sandwich-throwing man in a pink shirt down the street. I get the whole chasing thing when they had a free sandwich. Maybe it was chicken teriyaki. You bastard!

Attorney General (ha!), Pam Bondi said, “This is an example of the Deep State we have been up against for seven months as we work to refocus DOJ.” That’s not a joke. She literally tweeted that. J6 was a little harmless protest, and the real danger is these deep-state sandwich fuckers. First, they sex traffic babies out of the basement of a DC pizza parlor, and now they’re throwing sandwiches at federal law enforcement. (snip-but wait, there’s MORE!)

Way To Turn Things Around!

A Harry Potter-Themed Board Game Is Donating All Profits to Trans Charity

Publisher Czech Games Edition said they were “devastated” that the product was causing “harm instead of joy.”

By Mathew Rodriguez

Forget “100 points to Gryffindor,” 100% of profits going to trans charities sounds even better.

Czech Games Edition, the publisher behind the new board game Codenames: Back to Hogwarts, has announced that the total sum of profits made by the game will go to trans charities following consumer backlash against the Harry Potter tie-in product.

The gaming publisher announced the decision in a social media post issued on Friday. “We are all devastated that the project we were so excited to share with you caused harm instead of joy,” the August 8 statement reads. “Over time, the harmful views of the story’s creator have escalated into harmful actions. We apologize unreservedly for not doing more to consider that possibility, and for subsequently announcing the game without taking preemptive actions to mitigate the pain it would cause.”

Codenames is an award-winning word-based board game that has sold over 15 million units since its launch in 2015, per The Guardian. Czech Games Edition announced its first Harry Potter board game tie-in, Codenames: Harry Potter, in 2019, months before Rowling started making public anti-trans proclamations.

The company went on to say in its August 8 statement that it was “not prepared for the volume of the response” to Back to Hogwarts and that, aside from donating profits, it will ensure that “an amount equal to or greater than the fee paid to license this product” will go toward organizations that support the trans community. The company will determine which organizations receive the money based on community feedback, per the apology statement, prioritizing “those that offer direct, practical help to people in need.”

Czech Games Edition first announced Back to Hogwarts on July 23, per board game news website Wargamer. After two days of consumers pointing out the issues with licensing the J.K. Rowling-owned property, the company issued a statement saying that “we fully respect and understand those who do not wish to engage with this game,” and requesting an “ongoing conversation” characterized by “care, empathy and respect — both online and in person.”

On July 30, after continuing backlash, the company issued a follow-up statement saying that “our aim was never to cause harm,” and that it was working toward a “concrete solution” at the time.

Rowling’s anti-trans politics are well-known by now, as are her own monetary contributions to the movement, including her legal fund, which is hoping to push trans people out of public life. As Rowling’s views have grown louder and more vitriolic, actors attached to projects in the still-growing Harry Potter universe have made several statements condemning her views. One San Francisco bookstore has even announced that it would stop selling books about the Boy Wizard on its shelves, encouraging people who want to read them to seek out used copies instead.

The More Things Change, …

Wednesday Star Hunter Doohan Says He Once “Hid” Photos to Conceal Sexuality

The 31-year-old actor says he faced a particularly “scrutinizing” audition.

By Abby Monteil / August 12, 2025

Wednesday star Hunter Doohan is opening up about the pressure he once felt to hide his sexuality in Hollywood.

During a recent appearance on the Zach Sang Show, the 31-year-old actor — who’s best-known for playing barista Tyler on the hit Netflix series — recounted the process of auditioning for the Showtime series Your Honor in 2019. Although Doohan was openly gay and already in a relationship with his now-husband, Fielder Jewett, he noted that the audition marked “the first time I’d done a network test and they were really scrutinizing.”

“I really was trying to hide it,” he said. “I went and hid pictures of us on Instagram, archived them.”

After Doohan booked the role, he found himself coming out once again to his co-star Bryan Cranston at 26.

“I was at lunch one time with Bryan and I said, ‘Grace called again,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, she’s my friend Grace,’” the actor recalled. “And he’s like, ‘Oh, just a friend?’ And I thought, ‘Oh God… I’ve been out for eight years and I have to come out of the closet again.’ It was so unsettling and awful. I was like, ‘I’m never going to do that for a role again.’”

Sang asked Doohan why he felt the need to hide his sexuality, he replied, “[My partner] was like, ‘Oh yeah, are you worried about this?’ But yeah, I don’t know.”

“I’ve never played a gay role and I’ve auditioned for them,” Doohan added. “But all the characters I’ve played have been straight.”

The Wednesday star pointed to openly gay star Jonathan Bailey as an example. “I read this Jonathan Bailey interview the other day that was so inspiring, like, the way he talks about [his sexuality] and just how he’s totally released all perceived limitations around it,” Doohan said. “We’re lucky to be living in a different time where we can [play non-gay roles] and people can watch it and suspend their disbelief like that.”

These days, the actor has other concerns — namely, the fact that he missed out on meeting Wednesday guest star Lady Gaga on set.

“I’m the one gay guy on the show, and I didn’t get to meet Gaga,” Doohan joked during a recent appearance on the Just for Variety podcast with Marc Malkin. “It might be a hate crime.”

Wait-Don’t Boycott Costco!

It’s important to remember things, and to keep “issues” in context. Also, who have we asked for the Epstein files today? 😂

No, Rightwing Sh*tbirds Didn’t Pressure Costco Out Of Selling Abortion Pill by Rebecca Schoenkopf

Let’s not give a bunch of hate groups a win they didn’t earn. Read on Substack

With the neverending firehose of incredibly disappointing information, it’s easy to assume that everything is garbage and everything sucks all of the time. Yesterday, I yelled “Well, fuck Costco!” after reading a Reuters article titled “Costco to stop selling abortion pill mifepristone at its US pharmacy stores” — because that’s some bullshit, right?

Well, it was, just not in the way you might immediately assume. Costco never actually sold mifepristone, so they couldn’t “stop” selling something they never sold to begin with.

Stories later in the day did get it right (our link is to the archived very wrong version!). Costco had apparently been deliberating on whether or not to sell abortion medication at their pharmacies (it requires a certification to be able to carry it), and decided against.

Reuters and several other sources noted that the move came after “pressure” from anti-abortion groups, as well as Southern Poverty Law Center-designated hate groups like Alliance Defending Freedom, which even went so far as to issue an utterly insipid victory statement.

“We applaud Costco for doing the right thing by its shareholders and resisting activist calls to sell abortion drugs. Retailers like Costco keep their doors open by selling a lifetime of purchases to families, both large and small. They have nothing to gain and much to lose by becoming abortion dispensaries. Retail pharmacies exist to serve the health and wellness of their customers, but abortion drugs like mifepristone undermine that mission by putting women’s health at risk,” said Michael Ross, the group’s legal counsel.

For the record, mifepristone has an extremely low rate — 1 percent — of complications. It is more safe than Viagra or even Tylenol. Abortion is not the only use for the drug, either. It is also used to help safely expel a miscarriage so that one does not become septic (and perhaps require penicillin … yet another drug that is less safe than mifepristone). Groups like the ADF think that if they just keep confidently repeating blatant lies about abortion medication like they are universally accepted as true, that everyone will just go along with them. Just like maybe they’ll believe that the ADF and other groups are so influential that they actually did successfully push Costco to refuse to sell mifepristone.

But there is no reason to believe, without evidence, that Costco’s decision actually had anything to do with “bending the knee” to them or any other insane religious organizations dedicated to making life hell for women, LGBTQ+ people, and anyone who doesn’t share their religious beliefs.

Why? Because the company has no history of doing that, at all, for any reason. In fact, the company has notably refused to “bend the knee” to Republican Attorneys General and whiny conservatives across the land who have been demanding they ditch their DEI policies.

“If these are the policies you see as offensive, I must tell you I am not prepared to change,” CEO Richard Vachris wrote to a “concerned” customer who emailed him, upset about the company’s DEI policies and demanding to know if the company was hiring people based on “skin color” or “gender identification.”

“Attacks on DEI aren’t just bad for business — they hurt our economy. A diverse workforce drives innovation, expands markets, and fuels growth,” Costco board member Jeff Raikes wrote on social media.

Why would a company willing to risk the ire of these groups in that way suddenly decide to capitulate to them in another?

While it’s certainly disappointing that they didn’t change their policy of not selling mife, and those of us with Costco memberships should let them know that, the company has not said that this decision had anything at all to do with wanting to put a smile on the faces of the bigots at the ADF.

Rather, they said they didn’t think there was a demand for it.

“Our position at this time not to sell mifepristone, which has not changed, is based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients, who we understand generally have the drug dispensed by their medical providers,” Costco said in a statement. It’s not what we want to hear, obviously, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they did this because of pressure from the Right.

It’s also worth noting that Costco is known to treat their workers well, paying them, on average $31 an hour with good benefits — quite a bit higher than many of their competitors.

They also have a strong history of not being shitty in this way.

It would be a mistake to roll over on one of the few companies out there that isn’t completely evil. In addition, we shouldn’t hand groups like ADF an unearned “win,” which they have made clear they want to use to pressure other companies — including CVS and Walgreens, which are certified to dispense mifepristone — to stop selling abortion medication, as well as to make the rest of us feel that they are winning the culture war.

It’s like when the One Million Moms (one mom) take credit for getting TV shows canceled or commercials pulled off the air when those decisions actually had nothing to do with them at all. Claiming victory, for these groups, is a way for them to rally their base and to make other companies think they have more influence than they actually do.

The majority of Americans believe that abortion should be legal, and they’ve demonstrated this by voting in favor of keeping it legal in their states at practically every turn (not in Florida, because Florida requires 60 percent of the population to approve a ballot measure, which is some bullshit).

If Costco thinks there isn’t enough demand for mifepristone (which, yes, is a weird thing to say because it’s not like a medication anyone gets on a regular basis), then we should convince them that there is, by encouraging them to change their mind and get the certification necessary to sell abortion medication. You can go directly to their website and click the “Feedback” tag on the right side of your screen, call them at 1-800-774-2678, or send them a letter at Costco Wholesale, P.O. Box 34331, Seattle, WA 98124.

Immigrants Just Take Over, Displacing Native Born Americans, Stealing Resources; Great Britain Partitions Its Empire; & More, In Peace & Justice History for 8/15

https://www.peacebuttons.info/E-News/peacehistoryaugust.htm#august15

A Little Fun On A Hot Afternoon

I hope everyone is safe and comfortable, or able to get that way. Today I had an appointment in a city about 30 mi. away; I decided that afterward, I was going to stop in at their larger grocery and pick up the stuff on the list, and maybe a few other things. Their prices are a little higher, and there are spaces on the shelves over there. It doesn’t make sense why that is; the gas prices are the same; still under 3.00/gal. Anyway, I had a good trip, am safely home now for the rest of the day, and I ran across this article, which is the fun. Enjoy!

The John Oliver/Dean Cain Feud Is Officially On

Cage match! Cage match!

Matt Solomon

Dean Cain made headlines last week when he hopped on social media to announce that he was taking a break from his busy Hollywood career to become an ICE agent. “For those who don’t know, I am a sworn law enforcement officer as well as being a filmmaker,” he revealed. “I felt it was important to join with our first responders to help secure the safety of all Americans, not just talk about it. So, I joined up.”

Given Cain’s status as a washed-up TV star, the news was ready-made for late-night monologue fodder, and John Oliver didn’t disappoint on his most recent Last Week Tonight. “There’s an old saying in Hollywood,” Oliver began. “If all you can get is Dean Cain, you are fucked.”

Not satisfied after a single punchline, Oliver proceeded to make a meal of the Cain announcement. “I’m not saying that ICE isn’t finding people,” he continued. “I’m just saying when you are reduced to pinning a badge on the 59-year-old star of The Dog Who Saved Christmas, The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation, The Dog Who Saved the Holidays, The Dog Who Saved Halloween, The Dog Who Saved Easter and The Dog Who Saved Summer, maybe you are in trouble.”

Are those titles simply funny punchlines about the kinds of movies Cain has been reduced to starring in? Nope — that’s Cain’s actual IMDb.

Are there any positives to Cain becoming an ICE agent? Oliver can think of one: “No need for that guy to wear a mask because the chances of anyone recognizing him are fucking zero.”

Harsh. But it’s not officially beef until the other guy punches back, which is just what Cain did yesterday.

(snip-embedded tweet that won’t embed here but transcribed below)

“He stole that mask joke from the internet,” Cain insisted, trying to score points by pointing out that other people are making fun of him as well.

Oliver “also laughed hysterically when Trump said he was going to run for President. Case closed,” Cain posted, equating Trump’s presidential victories with his own decision to round up day workers at Home Depot.

Finally, Cain defended the honor of The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation. “Those movies were sweet, by the way!”

Oliver hasn’t posted on his own X account in 2025, so don’t expect any counterpunches — if any — until the next Last Week Tonight. In the meantime, fans of the burgeoning feud will have to make do with Oliver’s parting shot on his most recent episode. He gave viewers this advice if approached by an ICE agent: “Attorneys told us the only two things you should say to them are: ‘Am I free to leave?’ And ‘I want to speak to a lawyer.’ That’s it. You have the right to remain silent. And I recognize that in some cases, you may be unable to help yourself from saying: ‘Didn’t you used to be Superman? I thought you died.’”

More Progress Than Regress in Peace & Justice History for 8/14

https://www.peacebuttons.info/E-News/peacehistoryaugust.htm#august14

Who Are The Crime-Fighters, & Who Are The Criminals?

Roof-Top Felon by Clay Jones

DC is so crime-ridden, that the top federal official is a 34-count felon Read on Substack

Despite the nation’s capital being at a 30-year low in crime, Donald Trump has now federalized it, installing 800 National Guard troops to patrol the city because a former DOGE guy (white dude) got slapped around by some kids.

Fun fact: National Guardsmen are NOT cops. They have not been trained in police work. What authority do they have?

During a rambling and slurry 80-minute press conference while flanked by goons such as Pam Bondi, Pete Hegseth, Kash Patel, and Jeannine Pirro (it gets worse as you go down the line), Trump talked about sending the military into other cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and Baltimore. All cities with Black mayors.

This is going to be like Star Wars, where stormtroopers are stopping citizens on the streets, demanding to see their IDs.

During his rant, Trump said, “Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people.” It’s illegal to be homeless now? Is it illegal to be young?

Every time I copy and paste one of Trump’s quotes, Grammarly loses its shit. I think it wants to scream at me, “THAT’S NOT HOW WORDS WORK!” (snip, and there’s MORE)

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Wanted by Clay Jones

From one criminal to another Read on Substack

Today on GoComics, a very ignorant and vile person claimed “leftists” are in favor of forever wars. That pissed me off. I wasn’t pissed because he insulted us, or that he called us “leftists,” and not even that he’s wrong. He uses “leftists,” as though he’s describing Daniel Ortega and Sandinistas. If you think there’s a comparison between Daniel Ortega and today’s Democratic Party, then you should talk to my friend Pedro Molina. I guess “liberal” isn’t scary enough for the MAGAts anymore. What pissed me off is that because of his ignorance and inability to understand our position, he took it upon himself to assign one for us.

It’s not just him. This is a talking point, and I hate talking points. Yeah, both sides have them, but while liberals will use them out of convenience, MAGAts use them out of ignorance and laziness. It saves them time and effort from actually researching. All MAGA cartoonists would prefer to use talking points rather than understand an issue. It’s also a cover for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

Besides all that, MAGA talking points are always bullshit.

I’m anti-war. I had a battle every day with my editor at The Free Lance-Star because I wouldn’t draw cartoons supporting the invasion of Iraq. If I’m not going to support an illegal invasion by my country, then why would I support one by Russia?

The idiots who claim we support forever wars support the guy who started the war in Ukraine. After Putin illegally invaded Ukraine over a flimsy excuse about Nazis, Donald Trump called him a “genius” for it. I wonder if Trump thinks he’s a genius for invading DC on a flimsy excuse that Big Balls was attacked.

Supporting Ukraine, that nation that did not start this war, and its right to defend itself from a much stronger aggressor does not mean I want the war to last forever. Supporting arming Ukraine for it to defend itself from an invading force stealing its land and killing its people doesn’t mean I want the war to last forever. Anyone who believes that is a lazy idiot. Speaking of lazy idiots…

Trump and Putin will sit down tomorrow in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss the war in Ukraine. Trump is already prepared to reward Putin for his illegal invasion. Trump is proposing that Russia be gifted portions of Ukraine, which won’t be good enough for Putin. Putin wants the entire nation. If Trump were around in World War II, he would have given Hitler Poland. (snip; of course there is MORE)