Several federal unemployment programs are set to run out the day after Christmas, cutting millions of Americans off from their financial lifelines if Congress doesn’t pass another relief package. But even if lawmakers do come to a deal this week and renew the programs, antiquated state systems will still cause missed checks across the country. POLITICO’s Rebecca Rainey breaks down why we ended up at the edge of an unemployment cliff. Plus, the U.S. starts shipping Pfizer's Covid vaccine. And Germany issues new lockdown orders.

Rebecca Rainey is a labor and immigration reporter for POLITICO.
Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.

Read more: ‘We’re already too late’: Unemployment lifeline to lapse even with an aid deal

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