The federal government ran a $345 billion deficit for the month of August, according to a monthly report from the U.S. Treasury Thursday. The figure exceeded expectations, as economists had forecast a shortfall of about $300 billion, according to CNBC. In reality, the government spent $689 billion while taking in $344 billion, including $30 billion from tariffs: a monthly record that still was woefully inadequate to close up the budget gap, as August saw the third-largest deficit on record this