Thrust into unemployment, axed federal workers face relatives who celebrate their firing

Scrambling to replace their health insurance and to find new work, some fired federal workers are running into another unexpected unpleasantry: Relatives cheering their job loss. The country’s bitterly tribal politics are spilling into text chains, social media posts and heated conversations as Americans absorb the reality of government cost-cutting claiming a relative’s job. Expecting sympathy, some axed workers are finding family and friends who instead are steadfast in their support of what they see as a bloated government’s waste. Luke Tobin, who was fired from his U.S. Forest Service job in Idaho, says it's been one of the worst parts of the ordeal: “I’ve been treated as a public enemy by the government and now it’s bleeding into my own family."