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Furloughed IRS Lawyer Serves Hot Dogs in D.C. as Shutdown Enters Second Month

Agencies now project unpaid furloughs through late November for more than 700,000 federal workers.

Overview

  • Isaac Stein, an IRS attorney in Washington, D.C., launched a permitted cart called Shysters Dogs after being furloughed on October 8.
  • He operates in a suit, sells roughly 50 hot dogs a day, and offers tongue‑in‑cheek items like the “Correct Hot Dog” and a surcharge for “Wrong Toppings.”
  • Stein says he read about 150 pages of D.C. regulations and invested a five‑figure sum to open legally, calling the project fully by the book.
  • A CNN video on his cart drew viral attention, with viewers praising his humor and resilience during the shutdown.
  • He plans to return to the IRS when government operations resume but expects to keep vending on Fridays and weekends, as states sue over recent SNAP funding cuts by the administration.