Last of the 10 New Orleans jail escapees from May is captured in Georgia, authorities say

ATLANTA (AP) — A monthslong search for the only Louisiana inmate still on the run after an audacious May jailbreak ended Wednesday when authorities say they found him hiding in a crawl space beneath an Atlanta home, bringing the last of the 10 escapees into custody. Derrick Groves, 28, was convicted of murder and facing a possible life sentence before the inmates escaped through a hole behind a toilet in a New Orleans jail. He had the most violent criminal record of the group and authorities offered a $50,000 reward for tips leading to his capture. A SWAT team spent hours searching the house for Groves after obtaining a warrant, Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Fair said.

Authorities charge man with sparking deadly wildfire that leveled LA neighborhoods

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities have charged a 29-year-old man with igniting the January fire that destroyed Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli says Jonathan Rinderknecht was arrested in Florida on Tuesday and is due to appear in court Wednesday. He faces charges including malicious destruction by means of a fire in the New Year’s Day fire that burned down much of the Pacific Palisades a week later. The blaze killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 homes and buildings in the wealthy coastal neighborhood of LA. Investigators believe the suspect may have used a lighter to start the blaze.

Fed minutes: Most officials supported further rate cuts as worries about jobs rose

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most members of the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate setting committee supported further reductions to its key interest rate this year, minutes from last month’s meeting showed. Still, the minutes released Wednesday underscored the deep division on the 19-person committee between those who feel that the Fed’s short-term rate is too high and weighing on the economy, and those who point to persistent inflation that remains above the central bank’s 2% target as evidence that the Fed needs to be cautious about reducing rates.

IRS will furlough nearly half of its workforce

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS will furlough nearly half of its workforce as part of a new contingency plan. The agency said Wednesday most operations are closed. This follows the failure of President Donald Trump and Congress to reach a funding agreement, leading to a government shutdown now in its second week. The IRS initially planned to stay open using funds from Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act. But now only about half of the IRS’ 75,000 employees will remain working. Last week, the Republican president said around 750,000 federal workers nationwide were expected to be furloughed, with some potentially fired.