evidence: The US budget deficit exceeded $1.5 trillion with two months to go until the end of the fiscal year, down slightly on 2023 though vastly larger than pre-pandemic times. The $1.52 trillion gap for the 10 months through July was down 6% from the same period last year, Treasury Department data released Wednesday showed. For the month of July, the deficit was $244 billion — 16% smaller than July 2023, adjusted for calendar differences. The adjusted year-to-date narrowing was 5%. Higher revenues helped narrow the deficit. Receipts have risen in part because of a deferral of tax deadlines from fiscal 2023 into this year in states that suffered from natural disasters. Affected areas included most of California.