WASHINGTON, Aug 20 — The US gross national debt has surged past US$40 trillion (RM161 trillion) for the first time, government data showed yesterday, outstripping earlier...

The federal debt reached $40 trillion as the government adds red ink at a rapid rate. That's leading nervous investors to demand higher interest rates —pushing up borrowing costs…

The national debt is now over $40 trillion, a historic high that economists warn is bad news for the United States.