Free beer for furloughed federal workers

In south metro Atlanta tonight, a stay-at-home mom starts her new waitressing job. Her husband, a furloughed federal worker not sure when his next paycheck comes, has picked up carpool duty as they try to figure out how to weather the ongoing government shutdown.

Elsewhere, a Georgia Head Start Pre-k teacher worries about funding for her students’ lunches. An idled worker wonders how to tackle a mounting pile of medical bills. A National Weather Service meteorologist just spent his birthday on the job - without being paid.

These are some of the experiences the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is hearing about as we report on the local impact of the partial federal government shutdown.