Helena Moreno was elected the new mayor of New Orleans on October 12th, 2025, following the indictment of former Mayor LaToya Cantrell. Moreno, a council-member, was considered the favorite in the race. This development occurred as the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) food assistance program is reportedly running out of money, and the Treasury Department's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund has undergone Reduction in Force (RIF) layoffs, with its future uncertain even if the government reopens. Over the past hour, concerns have been raised about the WIC program's funding, with Speaker Johnson and House Republicans being urged to return to work and open the government to protect food support. Simultaneously, a tweet from Senator Brian Schatz confirmed that RIFs at the Treasury Department's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund went out on Friday, but the language suggests these reductions are not tied to the ongoing government shutdown and the fund may cease to exist regardless of reopening. In a separate development, an article shared by The Shreveport Times via X reported on Moreno's election, highlighting her role in leading the city out of what is described as chaos. This election follows primary polls closing at 8 PM Central Time on October 12th, 2025, with a potential runoff scheduled for November 15th if no candidate secured over 50% of the vote in the New Orleans mayoral race. Previous reports from October 11th indicated that President Donald Trump had directed the Department of War to ensure troops were paid amid the shutdown and that funds were identified for military pay within days.
