The numbers: The U.S. government had a monthly budget surplus of $49 billion in January, down slightly from the same month last year. For the fiscal year to date, the government’s deficit is $176 billion, up from $159 billion in the year-ago period.

What happened: Some of the big drivers of spending in January were for the Department of Homeland Security, and interest on the public debt. Outlays for Homeland Security climbed by $2 billion, or 41% — something the Congressional Budget Office said was largely for disaster relief.