#U.S.-Mexico Relations

[inc-immigrationnewscanada]

Trump's Bold Move: Gulf of Mexico Becomes Gulf of America

In an unprecedented act of nationalistic fervor, President Donald Trump has issued one of his first executive orders to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” signaling a new era of American identity and territorial claim. This bold move announced amidst the pomp of his inauguration, aims to reshape geographical nomenclature and underscore a significant shift in U.S.-Mexico…

[fandfnews]

Securing Borders, Sanctioning Houthis, and Stopping Cybercrime: Key Wins in State Department’s Busy Week

WASHINGTON, D.C. — March 8, 2025Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the Trump Administration’s commitment to “renewing the American Dream through global leadership” this week, following President Trump’s historic Congressional address. In a flurry of diplomatic activity, the State Department advanced border security cooperation with Mexico, unveiled new transnational crime rewards, and…

[firstoccupier]

Grounded Diplomacy: Mexico Grounds U.S. Deportation Dreamliner

In an unexpected diplomatic hiccup, Mexico temporarily blocked a U.S. military plane from landing, complicating the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to deport immigrants to the country, as reported by NBC News. While two Air Force C-17s managed to transport 160 deportees towards Guatemala, the planned flight to Mexico was grounded. The reason behind Mexico’s decision remains unclear,…

[fredtaiseer]

Trump Proposes Renaming Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’: A Controversial Move.

President-elect Donald Trump has announced his intention to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” describing the new name as “appropriate” and having a “beautiful ring to it.”

READ MORE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

During a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump criticized Mexico for issues related to immigration and drug trafficking, suggesting that the name change reflects U.S. prominence in the region.

In response, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia expressed support for the proposal and announced plans to draft legislation to facilitate the renaming effort.

READ MORE IN FOX NEWS

The Gulf of Mexico, a large ocean basin bordered by the United States, Mexico, and Cuba, has been known by its current name for over four centuries. Renaming it would require approval from international bodies such as the International Hydrographic Organization, of which both the U.S. and Mexico are members.

The proposal has sparked debate, with critics questioning the necessity and implications of such a change, while supporters argue it reflects national pride and sovereignty. As discussions continue, the international community watches closely to see how this proposal will unfold.

READ MORE IN YAHOO

[xtruss]

Close-Up Video Shows Texas Floating Barrier Has Circular Saws

— By Khaleda Rahman | August 9, 2023 | Newsweek

Migrants walk after crossing the Rio Grande River into the United States in Eagle Pass, Texas as seen from Piedras Negras, Coahuila State, Mexico on August 4, 2023. Democratic Rep. Sylvia Garcia has called the installation of the barrier "inhumane." Guillermo Arias/AFP Via Getty Images

The wrecking ball-sized buoys that make up the floating barrier that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott installed in July in the Rio Grande have circular saws between them, according to a video posted by Rep. Sylvia Garcia.

"Appalled by the ongoing cruel and inhumane tactics employed by @GovAbbott at the Texas border," Garcia, a Democrat, wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, alongside the clip. "The situation's reality is unsettling as these buoys' true danger and brutality come to light. We must stop this NOW!"

Mexican authorities said last week that two bodies had been recovered from the river in recent days, including one that was caught in the floating barrier. One body was found stuck in the lines of orange buoys, Mexico's Foreign Relations Department said in a statement on August 2. A second body was recovered about three miles upriver from the buoys, The Associated Press reported.

A repost of the video by Laiken Jordahl, a Southwest conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, amassed more than 8 million views.

The center is an environmental group where Jordahl works to protect wildlife, ecosystems, and public lands throughout the Southwest desert and U.S-Mexico borderlands, according to its website.

"Abbott has installed circular saws between the Rio Grande border buoys to maim or kill anyone who attempts to climb over," Jordahl wrote in the post. "Two bodies have already been found trapped in the floating barrier. He wants more migrants to die."

Jordahl told Newsweek: "Each day the floating wall, saw blades and concertina wire are allowed to stay up, more migrants will be injured or killed and more wildlife will suffer.

"Governor Abbott is turning this beautiful river into a death trap for people and wildlife. Our wildlands and communities will not be turned into war zones. Abbott must be stopped."

The U.S. Justice Department is suing Abbott over the barrier, after warning that it violates federal law and raises humanitarian concerns for migrants crossing into the country from Mexico. The lawsuit is asking a court to force Texas to remove it.

"We allege that Texas has flouted federal law by installing a barrier in the Rio Grande without obtaining the required federal authorization," Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement in late July.

"This floating barrier poses threats to navigation and public safety and presents humanitarian concerns. Additionally, the presence of the floating barrier has prompted diplomatic protests by Mexico and risks damaging U.S. foreign policy."

[directactionforhope]

"Starting this month [June 2024], thousands of young people will begin doing climate-related work around the West as part of a new service-based federal jobs program, the American Climate Corps, or ACC. The jobs they do will vary, from wildland firefighters and “lawn busters” to urban farm fellows and traditional ecological knowledge stewards. Some will work on food security or energy conservation in cities, while others will tackle invasive species and stream restoration on public land. 

The Climate Corps was modeled on Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps, with the goal of eventually creating tens of thousands of jobs while simultaneously addressing the impacts of climate change. 

Applications were released on Earth Day, and Maggie Thomas, President Joe Biden’s special assistant on climate, told High Country News that the program’s website has already had hundreds of thousands of views. Since its launch, nearly 250 jobs across the West have been posted, accounting for more than half of all the listed ACC positions. 

“Obviously, the West is facing tremendous impacts of climate change,” Thomas said. “It’s changing faster than many other parts of the country. If you look at wildfire, if you look at extreme heat, there are so many impacts. I think that there’s a huge role for the American Climate Corps to be tackling those crises.”  

Most of the current positions are staffed through state or nonprofit entities, such as the Montana Conservation Corps or Great Basin Institute, many of which work in partnership with federal agencies that manage public lands across the West. In New Mexico, for example, members of Conservation Legacy’s Ecological Monitoring Crew will help the Bureau of Land Management collect soil and vegetation data. In Oregon, young people will join the U.S. Department of Agriculture, working in firefighting, fuel reduction and timber management in national forests. 

New jobs are being added regularly. Deadlines for summer positions have largely passed, but new postings for hundreds more positions are due later this year or on a rolling basis, such as the Working Lands Program, which is focused on “climate-smart agriculture.”  ...

On the ACC website, applicants can sort jobs by state, work environment and focus area, such as “Indigenous knowledge reclamation” or “food waste reduction.” Job descriptions include an hourly pay equivalent — some corps jobs pay weekly or term-based stipends instead of an hourly wage — and benefits. The site is fairly user-friendly, in part owing to suggestions made by the young people who participated in the ACC listening sessions earlier this year...

The sessions helped determine other priorities as well, Thomas said, including creating good-paying jobs that could lead to long-term careers, as well as alignment with the president’s Justice40 initiative, which mandates that at least 40% of federal climate funds must go to marginalized communities that are disproportionately impacted by climate change and pollution. 

High Country News found that 30% of jobs listed across the West have explicit justice and equity language, from affordable housing in low-income communities to Indigenous knowledge and cultural reclamation for Native youth...

While the administration aims for all positions to pay at least $15 an hour, the lowest-paid position in the West is currently listed at $11 an hour. Benefits also vary widely, though most include an education benefit, and, in some cases, health care, child care and housing. 

All corps members will have access to pre-apprenticeship curriculum through the North America’s Building Trades Union. Matthew Mayers, director of the Green Workers Alliance, called this an important step for young people who want to pursue union jobs in renewable energy. Some members will also be eligible for the federal pathways program, which was recently expanded to increase opportunities for permanent positions in the federal government...

 “To think that there will be young people in every community across the country working on climate solutions and really being equipped with the tools they need to succeed in the workforce of the future,” Thomas said, “to me, that is going to be an incredible thing to see.”"

-via High Country News, June 6, 2024

--

Note: You can browse Climate Corps job postings here, on the Climate Corps website. There are currently 314 jobs posted at time of writing!

Also, it says the goal is to pay at least $15 an hour for all jobs (not 100% meeting that goal rn), but lots of postings pay higher than that, including some over $20/hour!!

[mariacallous]

Dozens of Jewish organizations have signed an open letter to President Donald Trump protesting his planned mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

The letter, published on Jan. 27, demonstrates that as Trump retakes office, a range of major Jewish organizations intend to continue to be vocal in opposing his policies on immigration. The signatories include a range of centrist and liberal Jewish groups with a national presence, including the leadership of the Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist religious movements. Dozens of local Jewish groups and institutions also signed.

“[W]e write in opposition to your Administration’s plans to launch mass deportations, build massive detention camps, and conduct sweeping raids,” the letter says. “We urge you to chart a different course and change your stated plans for widespread persecution of immigrants. America has long prided itself on being a place of refuge, a beacon of hope for those fleeing persecution and seeking a better life.”

The letter comes as the Trump administration has begun immigration arrests in Chicago and is conscripting the military to deport migrants.

Immigration has historically been an issue of concern for American Jews, many of whom are descended from families that arrived in the United States around the turn of the 20th century, if not later. The letter notes that American Jewry has historically been supportive of immigrant rights.

“Jewish families — past and present, here and elsewhere — know what it is to live in fear for the immediate and long-term safety of our families,” the letter says. “We have been forced to flee, denied access to safety, scapegoated, detained, and exploited. This history and our Jewish values make immigration policy – including ensuring a functioning and welcoming refugee program and protection of the right to seek asylum – deeply personal to the Jewish community.”

When Trump began his first term in 2017, immigration was an animating, and relatively unifying, issue for many U.S. Jewish groups. Groups representing all four major Jewish religious movements opposed his travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries as well as his policy of separating families detained at the border. Jewish groups challenged immigration actions in court, protested at immigration facilities and volunteered and fundraised to aid migrants.

Since then, some major Jewish groups that spoke out during Trump’s first term have become less vocal about immigration. A number of major Jewish groups declined to comment on President Joe Biden’s order last June that effectively shut down the U.S.-Mexico border. Many of those groups also did not sign Monday’s letter.

The letter also opposed a Trump order last week allowing immigration officers to make arrests at houses of worship. “Proposed changes to the immigration policy, including allowing immigration authorities to enter sacred spaces, only serve to exacerbate feelings of fear, panic, and insecurity. People should be able to come together in peace and worship without fear of deportation, detention, or harassment,” it said.

Other signatories included the progressive group Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, the Chicago Board of Rabbis, the Jewish refugee aid group HIAS, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Jewish Women International, the liberal Israel lobby J Street, the Jewish LGBTQ group Keshet, National Council of Jewish Women and the liberal rabbinic human rights group T’ruah. Jewish Community Relations Councils in eight cities also signed.

[inc-immigrationnewscanada]

Mexico: New Global Migrant Hub Amid U.S. Deportations

In an unprecedented turn of events, Mexico has become the unexpected sanctuary for thousands of non-Mexican migrants who have been deported from the United States under President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown. This shift in policy has not only strained U.S.-Mexico relations but also positioned Mexico at the heart of a burgeoning global migration crisis. Here, we delve into the…

[saywhat-politics]

Vice President J.D. Vance took aim at protesters at a manufacturing event in Bay City, Michigan, where he touted President Donald Trump’s economic agenda. Vance, who was speaking at Vantage Plastics, had little sympathy for people outside the venue who were carrying signs with messages like “Protect Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.” In fact, he suggested their protest was due to a lack of better things to do. “It’s a cool afternoon, on a Friday, and don’t you all have jobs?” The protesters were primarily focused on opposing Trump’s economic policies, particularly any plans to cut Social Security, a move championed by figures like billionaire Elon Musk. The DOGE head honcho has repeatedly criticized Social Security, claiming it benefits undocumented immigrants. The event occurred as Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum sparked backlash, particularly from Canada, Mexico, and China, and added strain on U.S. trade relations. Vance attempted to defend the tariffs, claiming they wouldn’t affect U.S.-based businesses. “Our administration’s plan, our goal is to make it easier and more affordable, to make things within the United States of America,” he said. “If you invest in America, in American jobs, in American workers, in American businesses, you’re going to be rewarded.” Vance closed with a message about the administration’s focus on boosting American manufacturing, promising tax cuts and reduced regulations for domestic companies.

[firstoccupier]

Grounded Diplomacy: Mexico Grounds U.S. Deportation Dreamliner

In an unexpected diplomatic hiccup, Mexico temporarily blocked a U.S. military plane from landing, complicating the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to deport immigrants to the country, as reported by NBC News. While two Air Force C-17s managed to transport 160 deportees towards Guatemala, the planned flight to Mexico was grounded. The reason behind Mexico’s decision remains unclear,…

[justinspoliticalcorner]

The Guardian:

Donald Trump said on Monday he would sign an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on all products coming in to the United States from Mexico and Canada, and additional tariffs on China.

“On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Trump said the tariffs would remain in place until the two countries clamp down on drugs, particularly fentanyl, and migrants crossing the border illegally. In a follow-up post, Trump announced that the US “will be charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America”. He said that the reason for the additional tariff was China’s failure to curb the number of drugs entering the US. China is a major producer of precursor chemicals that are acquired by drug cartels, including in Mexico, to manufacture fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid. “I have had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – But to no avail … Until such time as they stop, we will be charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America.” In response, China warned that “no one will win a trade war”.

Liu Pengyu, a Chinese embassy spokesperson, said China had taken steps to combat drug trafficking after an agreement was reached last year between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping. “The Chinese side has notified the US side of the progress made in US-related law enforcement operations against narcotics,” he said in a statement. “All these prove that the idea of China knowingly allowing fentanyl precursors to flow into the United States runs completely counter to facts and reality.” Canada’s deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland, released a statement on Monday evening saying that the country places the highest priority on border security and the integrity of its shared border with the US. Trump and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau spoke on Monday night about trade and border security, Reuters reported, citing a Canadian source directly familiar with the situation. Freeland’s statement did not mention the tariffs directly. It also said that the Canada Border Services Agency, the US Drug Enforcement Administration and US Customs and Border protection “work together every single day to to disrupt the scourge of fentanyl coming from China and other countries.”

[...] A tariff is a tax placed on goods when they cross national borders. Import tariffs such as those proposed by Trump can have the effect of protecting domestic industries from foreign competition while also generating tax revenue for the government. But economists widely consider them an inefficient tool that typically leaves consumers and taxpayers bearing the brunt of higher costs.

Donald Trump vows to enact economy-crushing 25% tariffs on fellow USMCA members Mexico and Canada, and much steeper tariffs on China.

See Also:

HuffPost: Trump Says U.S. Will Impose Massive Tariffs On Mexico, Canada And China From Day 1

[warsofasoiaf]

While I believe Trump's actions towards Ukraine is atrocious considering the total incompetence of Russia is it really surrendering if they can't achieve anything. Even if we do cut aid completely what can Russia do, they lost more men then any war since World War 2 with the result of barely holding Eastern Ukraine and who knows if they are even capable of occupying it long term. Or am I being too optimistic and Russia is more formidable than it appears?

Not Ukraine. For the purposes of the U.S.'s part in the entire scenario, Trump's conduct looks to be a total surrender to Russia. Trump has been quite vocal at trying to grant Russia concessions before the negotiations even take place. Reduction in U.S. forces from Europe, reinviting Russia to the G7, talking about withdrawing sanctions, all of these would be appropriately considered negotiation levers; we will grant Russia ABC in exchange for XYZ. Instead, Trump is trying to push for them to be granted these concessions first, without actually securing any gains for himself. After all, Trump is hoping to be an energy (particularly oil and LNG) exporter - allowing Russia more latitude to sell oil worldwide gives the US a competitor and weakens the U.S. position. Hurting European relations is also bad from a trade point of view - the EU is a vastly larger market and offers more to the U.S. from a trade and scientific point of view. It's a monumentally bad move from a negotiation theory point of view, were Trump sincere in his desire to mediate a peace treaty. Trump seems to be more interesting in ensuring a Russian victory by granting their maximalist aims.

My theory is that Trump is a severe narcissist and thus sees U.S. strategic interest largely in the vein of personal fulfillment. Putin flatters him by telling him how brave he is to allow Russia to get what he wants and dangles the idea of a genuine reset in Russian-U.S. relations that Trump believes will get him into the history books (see Trump's obsession with renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and trying to secure new states - it appears that he wants to have something concrete that he can point to rather than his current legacy of being by and large a bungler in the vein of Jimmy Carter). By contrast, Zelenskyy refused to bend the knee and grant him oppo dirt, and so he wants Ukraine to be humiliated and broken to satisfy his narcissistic rage. Similarly, Trump was angered by his impeachment over Ukrainian foreign aid and thus wants Ukraine to suffer for the slight to his ego.

There's actually more to it that largely falls into my conception of the second-term Trump presidency's focus on performative strength, but that's kind of going beyond the scope of the question.

Thanks for the question, James.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

“Today the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend. At the same time, they are talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense,” a visibly angry Trudeau said. Trump imposed tariffs against Washington’s three biggest trading partners, drawing immediate retaliation from Mexico, Canada and China and sending financial markets into a tailspin. Just after midnight, Trump put 25% taxes, or tariffs, on Mexican and Canadian imports, though he limited the levy to 10% on Canadian energy. “What he wants to see is a total collapse of the Canadian economy because that will make it easier to annex us,” Trudeau said. “That is never going to happen. We will never be the 51st state.” [...]

The premier of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, said that he would issue a 25% export tax on electricity sold to the U.S. and may later cut it off completely if the American tariffs persist. Ontario powered 1.5 million homes in the U.S. in 2023 in Michigan, New York and Minnesota. Ontario Premier Doug Ford also told The Associated Press that he would stop the sale of nickel and rare minerals to the U.S. Ontario and other provinces already began removing American liquor brands from government store shelves. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario sells nearly $1 billion Canadian dollars ($687 million) worth of American wine, beer, spirits and seltzers every year.

A government official said Lutnick called Ford after Ford’s press conference and asked him to stand down. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the call, said Ford told the U.S. commerce secretary he’ll go harder.

I fucking hate this timeline &c. &c.

[todaysdocument]

Circular Letter from the Woman's Protest Committee on the Statehood Bill

Record Group 46: Records of the U.S. SenateSeries: Petitions and Related Documents That Were Presented, Read, or TabledFile Unit: Petitions and Memorials, Resolutions of State Legislatures, and Related Documents Which Were Tabled

WOMAN'S PROTEST COMMITTEE.

[small horizontal line]

"The Status of Woman Marks the Degree of a Nation's Civilization."

OCTOBER 22nd, 1904.

DEAR MADAM:-A bill is now pending in Congress which so vitally affects the interests of women in the great South-

West that we believe you and your organization would like to protest against the injustice therein threatened our sisters.

The bill proposes to unite Oklahoma and Indian Territories into one State under the name of Oklahoma, and to com-

bine New Mexico and Arizona Territories into a State under the name of Arizona. This measure has passed the Lower House

of Congress, has been read twice in the Senate and is now before the Senate Committee on Territories, of which Senator Al-

bert J Beveridge is Chairman, and the following named Senators are also members: William P. Dillingham, Knute Nelson,

Thomas R. Bard, Henry E. Burnham, John Kean, William B. Bate, Thomas M. Patterson, James P. Clarke and Francis G.

Newlands. Now is the time to amend, while the bill is in Committee.

The portion of the bill threatening injustice to the women in the proposed new States is found in Paragraph 5 of Sec-

tions 3 and 21, which would allow these States, when organized, to disfranchise minors, criminals, lunatics, non-residents,

ignoramuses and [italic] women. This part of the bill reads as follows:

"Fifth-That said State shall never enact any law restricting or abridging the right of suffrage on account

"of race, color, or previous condition of servitude, or on account of any other conditions or qualificartions, save

"and except on account of illiteracy, minority, [italic] sex, conviction of felony, mental condition, or residence; pro-

vided, however, that any such restrictions shall be made uniform and applicable alike to all citizens."

There may be other objections to this part of the bill, that Congress gratuitously interferes to forbid negro disfranchise-

ment, or disfranchisement "for any other conditions or qualifications," which latter will prevent disfranchisement for lack of

United States citizenship, a prohibition never before laid on a State. This wording will be interpreted by some as even pro-

hibiting the future enfranchisement of women in these new States. These paragraphs might well be omitted.

But the injustice to women might be averted if only the word "sex" were stricken from the paragraphs. The pioneer

women of the West, who have labored and suffered by their husbands' sides to advance civilization, ought not to be so unjustly

classed with felons, lunatics and children, while their own husbands, equals in other respects, are enfranchised. The Congress

of the United States ought not to set its seal upon the possibility of the perpetual disfranchisement of these women, an un-

merited disgrace and punishment. It is true that in many States women have been tacitly ranked with these defective delin-

quent and dependent classes, but never before has the insult been so open and flagrant, nor has it been in an Act of Congress.

The representative of the United States Government, the Territorial Governor of Arizona, once before interfered in

Arizona legislation to the defeat of women, by vetoing the woman suffrage bill passed by the Legislature of Arizona.

The women of all our great country should now protest against the women of the Southwest being ranked with the

classed justly disfranchised, any other member of which may be effort, behavior, or lapse of time, achieve enfranchisement.

Will you not ask your organization to write to the two Senators from your own State, to Senator Beveridge, the Chair-

man of the Committee on Territories, and to the rest of the Committee, asking each to work for the omission of the word

"sex" from the two paragraphs quoted above, or for the omission of the entire paragraphs.

There is need of haste in this matter and we urge action by your organization at the earliest possible date.

The sending out of this letter is authorized by the following named women, who, as individuals, urge you to take

speedy action:

Mrs. Ellen M. Henrotin, Honorary President General Federation of Women's Clubs; Miss Susan B. Anthony, Honorary

President National American Woman Suffrage Association; Mrs. Mary Wood Swift, President National Council of Women;

Mrs. Hannah G. Solomon, President National Council Jewish Women; Rev. Anna H. Shaw, President National American

Woman Suffrage Association; Mrs. Mary A. Livermore; Mrs. Fanny Garrison Villard; Miss Laura Clay; Miss Margaret Haley,

President National Teachers' Federation; Mrs. Ella S. Stewart, Franchise Superintendent of National Women's Temperance

Union; Mrs. Emily W. Thorndyke, President National Catholic Woman's League; Mrs. Lida P. Robinson, President Arizona

Woman Suffrage Association; Mrs. Elizabeth M. Gilmer, (Dorothy Dix); Mrs. Mary T. Hagar, President National Ladies of

the Grand Army of the Republic; Mrs. Ellen C. Sargent, Honorary President of California Woman's Suffrage Association; Mres.

Mary S. Sperry, President California Woman Suffrage Association; Mrs. Catharine Waugh McCulloch, Legal Advisor National

American Woman Suffrage Association; Miss Clara Barton; Mrs. May Wright Sewall, Honorary President International Coun-

cil of Women; Mrs. Elmina Springer, of the Woman's Relief Corps and Eastern Star; Mrs. Florence Kelley; Mrs. Emmy C.

Evald, President National Lutheran Woman's League; Mrs. Frederick Schoff, President National Congress of Mothers; Mrs.

Leonora M. Lake; Mrs. Margaret Dye Ellis, Legislative Superintendent of National Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and

Mrs. Lilian M. N. Stevens, President National Woman's Christian Temperance Union.

Will you notify your local press as to your action, and also notify Mrs. Harriet Taylor Upton, of Warren, Ohio.

[herpsandbirds]

Do you have any cool facts about Missouri wildlife?

I'd love to share something with my Midwestern friends, and thank you for always updating this blog!

I don't know if i have any Missouri animal facts per se... but I can share some of the state symbols with everyone.

We moved around a lot when we first came to the U.S. and we lived briefly in Kansas City. I have great memories of going to the Ozarks at Christmas time (near Lake of the Ozarks). I specifically remember following woodpeckers and deer around the forest in the snow.

SOME MISSOURI STATE SYMBOLS:

STATE BIRD: Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis), family Turdidae, order Passeriformes, found across much of the central and Eastern U.S., SE Canada, and NW Mexico

Changes in land use lead to drastic declines in Eastern Bluebirds after the early 1900s. They have recovered in many places, due to "bluebird trails", reestablishing appropriate habitat and nest box campaigns for public and private property.

Find out more: NestWatch | Eastern Bluebird - NestWatch

Blue birds are in the thrush family, Turdidae, along with American Robins.

They eat mainly worms, insects, and other small invertebrates (but also take berries for part of the year).

Bluebirds are cavity nesters, nesting in tree holes usually, but will readily take to properly constructed and placed nest boxes.

Males (pictured) are brighter blue, and females are a more muted and faded blue or bluish gray.

photograph by Keith Kennedy

STATE AQUATIC ANIMAL: American Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), family Polyodontidae, order Acipenseriformes, found in various parts of the Mississippi River basin

This species is the only member of this family that still exists. They are most closely related to sturgeons. This order, Acipenseriformes, is considered one of the most evolutionarily primitive groups of ray finned fishes.

They do not have scales, and their skeleton is mostly cartilaginous.

They are filter feeders. Their heads and rostrums are covered with thousands of sensory receptors, which help them locate zooplankton swarms.

They are considered "vulnerable" due to overfishing, habitat degradation and destruction, and pollution.

photograph via: US Fish & Wildlife Service

STATE ENDANGERED ANIMAL: Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis), family Cryptobranchidae, eastern United States

The largest salamander in the Americas, it grows to a total maximum length of up to 40 cm (15.7 in). 

Though nationally it is considered to be just "vulnerable", in some states (like Missouri), it is "endangered".

photograph by Mark Tegges

STATE REPTILE: Three-toed Box Turtle (Terrapene triunguis), family Emydidae, found in the South-central and Southeastern U.S.

This specie shas been considered to be a subspecies of the Eastern Box Turtle, T. carolina (and still is by some herpetologists).

These turtles are terrestrial, but are not closely related to tortoises. They are in the same family as aquatic sliders, pond turtles, cooters, map turtles, and painted turtles.

photograph by Noppadol Paothong

STATE FISH: Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), family Ictaluridae, order Siluriformes, found in freshwater habitats in the eastern and southern US, southern Canada, and northern Mexico

They are widely caught, and have been introduced into waterways in other parts of North America and around the world. (In some places they are considered an invasive species).

photograph via: Missouri Dept. of Conservation

photograph by Brian.gratwicke