BRIMSON — St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said winds gusting up to 70 mph Thursday afternoon could be a “game-changer” for firefighting efforts if there isn’t rain as well.

The sheriff reported in a Facebook video around 12:15 p.m. that authorities were concerned about high winds from 4-9 p.m. that could fuel the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires.

A gale warning in effect along the North Shore from 1-8 p.m. is expected to produce 3- to 6-foot waves on Lake Superior, the National Weather Service in Duluth reported.

Ramsay said some firefighters have been reallocated to the Jenkins Creek Fire, which is growing faster than the Camp House and Munger Shaw fires. All three fires were zero percent contained as of early Thursday afternoon.

Crews were monitoring the growth of the Jenkins Creek Fire in the direction of Hoyt Lakes. As of early Thursday afternoon, the tip of the fire was 6.5 to 7 miles from the city, which has a population of around 2,000. Ramsay said there was a very slim chance the fire could reach Hoyt Lakes in the next 24 hours.

Jenkins Creek Fire crews were working Thursday morning to protect the fire from spreading to an AT&T communications tower and the unincorporated community of Fairbanks, located just west of Cadotte Lake and the Superior National Forest’s Cadotte Lake Campground, and 18 miles southeast of Hoyt Lakes.

The Eastern Area Incident Management Team, which manages the Brimson Complex, including the Camp Fire and Jenkins Creek fires, said in an update at 11 a.m. Thursday that a dozen crews were constructing a line on the south side of the Jenkins Creek Fire. Planes dropped water Wednesday to protect the communications tower.

“The fire is fueled by mixed forest vegetation and spruce budworm-infested forest stands,” the update read. “Dead and distressed balsam and aspen prone to ignition pose a significant hazard for firefighters.”

Jenkins Creek Fire status, 8:44 a.m. Thursday

Started: Monday
Acres: 15,570
Location: East of Hoyt Lakes
Cause: Under investigation
Resources: 5 engines, 3 tenders, 3 tracked vehicles, air support
Eastern Area Complex Incident Management Team notes: “The hot, windy weather in recent days led to some extreme fire behavior with crown torching and crown spread. The fire jumped Forest Road 120 (Skibo Road) and pushed north. Unlike the Camp House Fire, the Jenkins Creek Fire was not impacted by lake-effect winds. This fire is burning in mixed boreal forest and grassy ground cover; this area is heavily infested by spruce budworm, so there is an abundance of distressed and dead balsam fir and white spruce. Those ‘snags’ are especially prone to ignition.” Ground access could be limited due to swamps, rivers and a lack of forest roads.

Camp House Fire status, 8:44 a.m. Thursday

Started: Sunday
Acres: 14,979
Location: Brimson
Cause: Under investigation
Resources: 32 engines, 13 tenders, 6 dozers, 3 tracked vehicles, air support
Eastern Area Complex Incident Management Team notes: “Firefighters are engaged in full suppression tactics on the fire and are providing protection to threatened structures and infrastructure around the fire perimeter. The fires have been active, making short runs in the pine overstory — especially in areas with heavy spruce budworm infestation. Fire has proved challenging due to the influence of unpredictable shifting ‘lake turbulence’ winds.” Crews were working to protect an AT&T communications tower.

Munger Shaw Fire status, 11:50 a.m. Thursday

Started: Monday
Acres: 1,600
Location: 2 miles east of Elora Lake
Cause: Undetermined
Resources: 65 personnel
Minnesota Interagency Command Team A notes: “Continue use of aircraft and ground personnel, dozers, and track vehicles to continue establishing an anchor point and containment line.” The fire was “creeping and smoldering.” Sixty-five personnel were on the scene.

Evacuations

St. Louis and Lake counties will contact residents in their respective counties if they need to evacuate.

St. Louis County’s “ready, set, go!” evacuation zone map denotes evacuation status in yellow, orange and red, along with recommended plans to protect residents and their property.
Lake County’s “ready, set, go!” evacuation zone map denotes evacuation status in yellow, orange and red, along with recommended plans to protect residents and their property.

Evacuation centers:

St. Louis County Public Health and American Red Cross shelter at the Fredenberg Community Center, 5104 Fish Lake Road, Duluth.
Old School Lives, 9165 U.S. Highway 53, Cotton.

Weather forecast

A strong low-pressure system moving in Thursday could bring showers and thunderstorms to the Arrowhead by the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Duluth. Severe storms are possible in the afternoon and evening; however, the best chances are in Northwestern Wisconsin.

The forecast for Brimson on Thursday calls for a high of 81 degrees and a chance of showers between noon and 4 p.m. and possible thunderstorms after 4 p.m. Relative humidity was 69%.

The NWS reports that the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires will continue to spread heavy ground-level smoke Thursday. Winds shifted to the southeast and will push the smoke plumes northwest, affecting portions of St. Louis, Itasca and Koochiching counties through the afternoon.

The NWS lifted the Red Flag Warning for Minnesota on Wednesday, but outdoor burning is discouraged.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued an air quality alert for fine particle pollution in Northeastern Minnesota until 4 p.m. Thursday. The Air Quality Index is expected to reach the orange level (unhealthy for sensitive groups, including those with lung disease, asthma, heart disease, children and older adults.

How you can help

United Way of Northeastern Minnesota
For residents impacted in St. Louis County. It is working to establish a wildfire recovery fund. Immediate assistance is offered through its Comforts of Home program, which replaces lost items with referrals from agencies like the Red Cross and St. Louis County. All proceeds go to impacted community members.

Donate online: unitedwaynemn.org/firehelp
Donate via mail: United Way of Northeastern Minnesota, 608 East Drive, Chisholm, MN 55719.

Head of the Lakes United Way
For residents impacted in Lake County. All proceeds go to impacted community members.

Donate online: hlunitedway.harnessgiving.org/campaigns/18236
Donate via mail: Head of the Lakes United Way, 314 W. Superior St. #750, Duluth, MN 55802; include a note indicating “wildfire relief.”

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The city will now hold off on selling the debt of property owners—who make the list if they owe taxes or water, sewer and emergency repair charges—until June 3. The extension “gives New Yorkers more time to take action and get help,” Department of Finance Commissioner Preston Niblack said.

Buildings in Brooklyn. (Photo by Adi Talwar)

The city will delay the return of its controversial tax lien sale for two additional weeks—an effort to give home and property owners more time to address their debts and avoid it, officials said Thursday. It will now take place June 3, rather than May 20 as originally planned.

Since the Giuliani administration, the city has attempted to collect on delinquent tax, water or emergency repair bills by selling the debt to an authorized buyer, usually a trust, which typically begins charging fees and interest on any unpaid liens. It can lead to foreclosure, and has historically hit homeowners in communities of color the hardest.

This year is the first time the city will hold the sale since the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the years, many housing advocates have called to abolish the practice, saying it puts vulnerable small homeowners at risk of homelessness or exploitation by predatory lenders.

“It’s the same areas that historically were redlined, it’s the same areas that were targeted, that had racial predatory lending. It’s the same areas that have suffered from discrimination for decades, almost a century,” said Kevin Wolfe, deputy director of advocacy and public affairs at the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, in an interview with City Limits last month.

In an effort to address that criticism, the City Council and the Adams administration passed reforms last year, including the creation of a new “Easy Exit Program“—under which eligible households can avoid having their debt sold for up to a year—and a $2 million outreach campaign that offers free counseling for homeowners.

There are other ways people can get their buildings off the sales list: they can pay their debts in full, enroll in a payment plan, apply for a property tax exemption, or submit a probate application. 

“This extension gives New Yorkers more time to take action and get help,” said Department of Finance Commissioner Preston Niblack in a statement Thursday. “We’re doing everything we can to connect property owners with payment options and support services to help them avoid the lien sale and stay in their homes. If you or someone you know is at risk, now is the time to reach out.”

You can find more information and resources from the city here, or visit the Center for NYC Neighborhoods’ Homeowner Help Desk here.

To reach the editor, contact Jeanmarie@citylimits.org

Want to republish this story? Find City Limits’ reprint policy here.

The post City Postpones Controversial Tax Lien Sale By 2 Weeks appeared first on City Limits.

By DEE-ANN DURBIN, Associated Press

Business travel to the U.S. fell 9% in April as companies and workers grappled with economic uncertainty and anger over the Trump administration’s tariffs and border policies.

The National Travel and Tourism Office released preliminary figures Thursday showing the number of airline and ship passengers who entered the country last month using business visas.

The Middle East was the only region that saw higher business travel to the U.S., with arrivals up 9.4% compared to April 2024. But that didn’t make up for big losses from other regions; the number of business travelers from Western Europe fell 17.7%, for example.

The new government data didn’t include people coming from Canada for business or who traveled by land from Mexico. Mexican arrivals by air for those holding business visas were down 11.8%, the government said.

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And overall travel from Canada also fell in April. According to Statistics Canada, Canadian residents’ return trips by air from the U.S. fell 20% in April, while return trips by car were down 35%.

Business travel to the U.S. held up better than leisure travel in the first quarter of the year. According to U.S. government data, more than 1.2 million travelers entered the U.S. using business visas in the January-March period, up 7% from the year before. The number of travelers using tourist visas fell 6%.

But that flipped in April, as the late Easter holiday likely encouraged more leisure travel. Travel to the U.S. by international travelers holding tourist visas was up 13.8% in April.

It’s unclear if that trend will hold. Cirium, an aviation analytics company, said an analysis of online travel agency data indicated that advance bookings from Europe to 14 U.S. cities in June, July and August were down 12% from those same months last year.

Multiple U.S. airlines have pulled their financial forecasts for the year, citing uncertainty and weaker demand from lower-fare leisure travelers. Many industry experts think business travel to the U.S. will continue to decline in the coming months.

Leslie Andrews, the global travel leader for real estate company JLL and a board member at the Global Business Travel Association Foundation, said she thinks corporate travel to the U.S. will slow in the second and third quarters of the year as the full impact of economic and geopolitical volatility sets in.

“What I am hearing is, ‘Things were good in the first quarter,’ but in the second quarter it’s a matter of, ‘Must you take that trip?’” Andrews said. “They’re pulling in the reins a bit to make sure only purposeful travel is happening as things grow and evolve.”

BT4Europe, a business travel association, said companies are increasingly wary about unpredictable procedures to enter the U.S. and the risk of detention, especially for LGBTQ+ individuals or those who have voiced political opinions on social media.

Kevin Haggarty usually travels to the United States from Canada several times a year to attend trade shows in Atlanta or Las Vegas or to visit suppliers in Los Angeles. But his concerns about crossing the border will keep him from making those trips this year.

Haggarty, who owns a company that sells gifts and souvenirs, said Canadian retailers no longer want U.S.-made merchandise. His U.S. suppliers are struggling to stay afloat due to U.S. tariffs on products made in China. Above all, he’s concerned about reports of international travelers being detained at the U.S. border.

“Honestly, my nervousness and reluctance to cross into the U.S. stems from that more than any hostility to the American market,” said Haggarty, who lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Global Business Travel Association CEO Suzanne Neufang said a poll of more than 900 of the association’s members last month showed nearly one-third expected a decline in global travel volumes this year.

Canadian members were the most pessimistic, with 71% saying they expect a decrease in travel this year, Neufang said.

“The uncertainty is unnerving for a business travel sector that likes to be safe and likes to be efficient,” she said.

A drop-off in business trips would represent a setback for the U.S. travel industry and cities that host international conventions and trade shows. The $1.6 trillion global business travel sector was finally returning to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. business travel spending reached pre-COVID levels in 2023, Neufang said, while the rest of the world achieved that last year.

Brett Sterenson, the president of Hotel Lobbyists, a Washington firm that helps groups book hotels for meetings and conferences, said he was losing international business as some countries warn travelers not to visit the U.S.

U.S. government cuts are also hurting business, Sterenson said. He works with several groups that offer international exchange programs through the State Department. The programs welcome travelers from Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia and elsewhere and share best practices on things like energy policy and environmental stewardship, he said. But with funding cuts, that part of his business is down 75%.

“These exchanges were monumentally useful in spreading goodwill, but also in educating developing nations on good governance,” Sterenson said.

Haggarty, in Canada, said he canceled a trip to a trade show in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and said several retailers he works with also pulled out. He’s now looking to England, France, Spain and other markets for goods to sell.

“It’s unfortunate. It’s much easier to bring products to Canada from the U.S., but we’re in a corner,” he said. “I want people to know just how much damage this administration is doing to their relationships globally.”

By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans have blocked a Democratic resolution to require more transparency from the Trump administration about deportations to El Salvador.

The vote Thursday was the latest attempt by minority Democrats to force Senate votes disapproving of Trump administration policy. The Senate rejected, 45-50, the motion to discharge the resolution from committee and consider it immediately on the floor.

“This information is critical at a time when the Trump Administration has admitted to wrongfully deporting people to El Salvador, and after Trump has said he’s also looking for ways to deport American citizens to the same terrible prisons,” said Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, the lead sponsor of the resolution.

The resolution blocked by Republicans would force administration officials to report to Congress about what steps it is taking to comply with courts that have ruled on the deportations. Democrats have highlighted the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to the Central American country and who a Maryland judge has said should be returned to the U.S.

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Democrats want to put Republicans on record on that case and others while also pressuring the government of El Salvador, which is working with the Trump administration. The resolution would also require the Trump administration to reveal more information about money paid to El Salvador and assess the country’s human rights record.

It’s just the latest example of Democrats using the legislative tools available to them in the minority to try to challenge Trump’s agenda.

The Senate in early April passed a resolution that would have have thwarted Trump’s ability to impose tariffs on Canada, and Republicans narrowly blocked a similar resolution later that month that would have stalled Trump’s global tariffs. Four Republicans voted with Democrats on the first tariff measure, and three Republicans voted with them on the second resolution. No Republicans joined Democrats on Thursday’s measure on El Salvador.

The Democrats are forcing the votes under different statutes that allow so-called “privileged” resolutions — legislation that must be brought up for a vote whether majority leadership wants to or not. The resolution rejected Thursday was under the Foreign Assistance Act, which allows any senator to force a vote to request information on a country’s human rights practices.

Also Thursday, Kaine and several other Democrats filed a joint resolution of disapproval to try to block a $1.9 billion arms sale to Qatar at the same time that the country is offering to donate a $400 million luxury jet as Trump’s Air Force One. If the Senate Foreign Relations Committee does not consider the resolution, Democrats could force another vote on the Senate floor.

“Unless Qatar rescinds their offer of a ‘palace in the sky’ or Trump turns it down, I will move to block this arms sale,” said Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, a member of the Foreign Relations panel who is leading the effort with Kaine and others.