Washington (AFP) – Her husband is one of thousands of federal employees who haven’t been paid due to the US government shutdown — but a Virginia woman snagged her family some extra income, winning $100,000 and a car in the state lottery.
“I cried. I couldn’t believe it,” Carrie Walls said, recalling the moment she realized she had won, the Virginia Lottery said in a news release.
Along with the $100,000, Walls — who lives in Ashburn, a suburban town near Washington — also bagged a Ford Expedition SUV.
Around 800,000 federal employees have been on mandatory leave or working without pay for 24 days as US President Donald Trump and Congress wrangle over funding for a wall on the southern border.
On Friday, Congress voted to guarantee federal employees retroactive pay once the shutdown ends.
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