Americans now face a third wave of the coronavirus. New lockdowns may soon follow—this time, without economic support. 

Many provisions of the CARES Act ran out in July and Congress missed its deadline this week to pass new support before the election. We talk to Prof. Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, an expert on the social safety net, about how dire the economic situation already is for many families.

Support this show and all of The Atlantic’s journalism by becoming a subscriber at www.theatlantic.com/supportus

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices