In this Aug. 3, 2020, file photo dark clouds and heavy rain sweep over the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
By Martin Crutsinger
The U.S. budget deficit hit an all-time high of $3 trillion for the first 11 months of this budget year, the Treasury Department said Friday.
The ocean of red ink is a product of the government's massive spending to try to cushion the impact of a coronavirus-fueled recession that has cost millions of jobs.
The deficit from October through August is more than double the previous 11-month record of $1.37 billion set in 2009. At that time the government was spending large sums to get out of the Great Recession triggered by the 2008 financial crisis.
With one month to go in the 2020 budget year, which ends Sept. 30, the deficit could go even higher. The Congressional Budget Office is forecasting the deficit this year will hit a record of $3.3 trillion. However, the government often runs surpluses in September so it is possible the final figure for this year could come in just under $3 trillion.
That would still put the deficit well above last year's imbalance of $984 billion. The previous record deficit for a fiscal year was $1.4 trillion in 2009 in the aftermath of the financial crisis.
Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping are heading into their big meeting at a country estate in California on Wednesday hoping to stabilize U.S.-China relations after a period of tumult.
Israeli forces are raiding Gaza’s largest hospital, where hundreds of patients, including newborns, have been stranded with dwindling supplies and no electricity.
Nikki Haley's campaign is investing heavily in Iowa and New Hampshire as the presidential hopeful will be appearing in $10 million worth of TV, radio, and digital ads starting in December.
Paul Pelosi, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, testified Monday in the trial of the man accused of breaking into his home and attacking him in October last year.
