In theory, federal Payment Protection Program loans are designed to provide American businesses with fiscal relief so they can support their workers.

The program aimed to accomplish two goals at once: Keep businesses afloat and workers on the job. It grants loans of up to 2.5 times payroll costs, forgivable if employers spend 75% of the money on payroll, rehire and retain their staff until June 30 and use the funds within eight weeks.

In practice, the PPP has created situations that have left workers unemployed and employers staring down the barrel of bankruptcy.

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