OTTAWA—The federal government says its preliminary deficit for the last fiscal year was $314 billion, an unprecedented figure caused by an equally unprecedented economic shock. The early deficit figure for the 12−month period between April 2020 to March 2021 compares to a deficit of $21.8 billion over the preceding fiscal year. The government says in…

Orange County released its proposed budget May 19 for the 2021-2022 fiscal year as it looks to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. “What was initially presented to us is a solid budget, one that we can work with without having to worry about substantial cuts,” Supervisor Don Wagner told The Epoch Times. “I’m optimistic that we’re going…