Millions of jobless face loss of unemployment checks

As if the constant influx of rejection letters weren't enough to depress the all-too-many Americans who have had no luck finding jobs, some 1.3 million of them face losing weekly unemployment checks by year's end as benefits dry up.

In reaction to the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression, states and the federal government have extended to payments to jobless workers, allowing some to claim benefits for up to 18 months. But for many, who lost their jobs earlier in the downturn, the specter of losing that support and a future with no money coming in whatsoever is very real.