Atlanta, GA

Government shutdown threatens Atlanta’s innovation economy

Published

1 month ago

October 15, 2025

Government shutdown threatens Atlanta’s innovation economy

Shutdown could slow innovation

The federal government shutdown has halted new research grants from agencies like the NIH and NSF. Local biotech leaders, including Portal Innovations Atlanta and Georgia Tech-based startup Topo DX, say the freeze could stall early-stage research and slow medical breakthroughs. To offset the funding gap, Portal Innovations has launched a $100 million fundraising effort to support startups impacted by the federal pause in research funding.

ATLANTA – In week two of the federal government shutdown, agencies say most new research funding is on hold, a freeze that could slow innovation in Atlanta and beyond.

What they’re saying:

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), no new grants are being processed, and most staff are furloughed. Once operating funds are exhausted at the National Science Foundation (NSF), the federal agency that funds most university research outside of medicine, normal operations will cease. Even a brief delay could have lasting effects on innovation within Atlanta’s growing life sciences economy.

“A lot of innovation is reliant on federal funding support, especially grants like the NIH,” said Ashley Cornelison, executive director of Portal Innovations Atlanta. “Companies’ access to that is going to be perhaps limited, and it will be really challenging for innovation to be able to scale. It could have some long-term effects.”

Portal provides lab space, funding and expert support to help early-stage biotech and medtech startups grow from university research into real companies. The life sciences incubator sits just off the Georgia Institute of Technology campus in Science Square, a public-private partnership on Tech-owned land designed to link university research with private-sector innovation.

One of the companies under the Portal umbrella, Topo DX, is developing faster lab tests to detect infections in hours instead of days, helping patients get the right antibiotics sooner.

“We want to help people, save lives and prevent overuse of antibiotics, which is a huge problem,” said Adam Krueger, co-founder and lead researcher at Topo DX. “Overuse of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance is what they call the ‘silent pandemic.’ It’s a serious killer.”

Krueger built Topo DX from his research at Georgia Tech, as many Atlanta founders have done. The university routinely ranks among the top U.S. institutions in research activity.

On its website this week, Georgia Tech said the shutdown “is delaying payment for federally funded research activities at Georgia Tech, which represent more than $100 million per month in expenses.” The institute said it will begin implementing mitigation strategies “as early as next week to help ensure business continuity during this shutdown.”

“There’s a lot of grants that either aren’t being funded or there’s questions about them being continued,” Krueger said. “A lot of people are uncertain about their future and about their research future.”

Topo DX is applying for grants through the NSF but remains mostly privately funded. Krueger said the freeze will likely hit hardest at the seed stage of research.

“Research is all about finding something new, something that hasn’t been proven yet,” he said. “Private funding makes a lot of sense once you’ve proven what you have works. But in the seed stages, it’s high risk, high reward — and that’s where government funding really matters.”

At Portal, Cornelison said many founders are anxious about the uncertainty.

“They’re concerned about how it will impact not only them and their companies, but the therapies that they might be advancing,” she said.

Local perspective:

Before the shutdown, Portal began bridging the gap in federal funding with private capital, announcing a $100 million fundraising effort “to help these companies in this difficult time and really bridge them in the absence of what might have been other available resources,” Cornelison said.

The Source: This is an original report by FOX 5’s Alli Levine, who spoke with people who use the loans to fund research.

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Atlanta, GA

Westside residents push back on APS plan, call for inclusion in decisions

Published

15 hours ago

November 25, 2025

Press Room

Westside residents push back on APS plan, call for inclusion in decisions

Westside residents push for more say in decisions

Westside residents say the APS school repurposing plan disproportionately impacts their neighborhoods. Community members also raised concerns about TAD funding and gentrification. Residents are calling for inclusion and oversight in decisions about development and education.

ATLANTA – Concerned residents on Atlanta’s Westside gathered Monday night for an emergency community meeting in Vine City, saying a proposed Atlanta Public Schools plan to repurpose 16 schools will disproportionately impact their neighborhoods — and deepen what they call decades of disinvestment.

‘A crisis’ for Westside

What they’re saying:

The meeting, held at Live Life Tabernacle, drew a small but passionate group of residents who said they’re tired of being overlooked when it comes to city funding and educational resources.

“We have a crisis,” one speaker said, as community members nodded in agreement.

Under the APS proposal, a majority of the 16 schools slated for closure or repurposing are located in Atlanta’s western neighborhoods, including Vine City and nearby communities.

Alton Peterson, a longtime resident and small business owner, voiced frustration over what he described as another blow to struggling families.

“They closing down schools. What can kids going to do?” he said. “They probably have to travel farther — and parents can’t do that because they’re struggling to pay rent and other bills.”

Concerns over city spending and gentrification

What they’re saying:

Residents also pointed to what they view as a longstanding disparity in how Atlanta’s tax allocation district (TAD) funding is distributed. The program was designed to spur development and improve infrastructure in underserved areas — but locals say the benefits haven’t reached them.

“We need oversight,” one attendee said. “We need to make sure it actually goes toward projects that actually help the people.”

Last month, Mayor Andre Dickens proposed using $5 billion in TAD funds to expand access to jobs, education, and food, while extending the program through 2055. But residents worry that the plan won’t arrive soon enough to slow gentrification and prevent more long-time families from being displaced.

Ann Breedlove, a Westside business owner, said her community has watched property values rise while Black residents have been forced out.

“The property owners and investors that have taken our properties in these neighborhoods — they have studied, pushed out African American people,” she said.

Calls for inclusion and accountability

What they’re saying:

For Peterson and others, the solution begins with inclusion — ensuring Westside residents have a voice in how development dollars are spent.

“My concern is just that the money’s going into the right places,” Peterson said. “Up the street, you’ll see folks laying on the sidewalk, folks asking you, ‘Can I get a quarter?’ It shouldn’t be that.”

Those who attended Monday’s meeting said this was just the beginning. They hope to strengthen dialogue not only within the neighborhood but also with city leaders and APS officials.

The Source: Information in this article came from FOX 5’s Rob DiRienzo attending the meeting and listening to speakers.

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Atlanta, GA

Storms Tuesday could cause delays at Atlanta airport ahead of Thanksgiving

Published

2 days ago

November 23, 2025

Press Room

Storms Tuesday could cause delays at Atlanta airport ahead of Thanksgiving

ATLANTA – If you’re flying out of or through Atlanta ahead of Thanksgiving, prepare for potential delays at the world’s busiest airport.

Possible travel delays in Atlanta

What they’re saying:

Storms moving into Georgia on Tuesday could create travel headaches at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to the FOX 5 Storm Team.

“It’s beautiful today — clear skies, sunshine, and mild temperatures — but that’s going to change,” said FOX 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alex Forbes. “We’ve got another cold front coming in that’s going to bring the risk for some stronger storms on Tuesday.”

The National Weather Service and FOX 5 Storm Team are tracking a system that could bring damaging winds up to 60 miles per hour, hail up to one inch in diameter, and frequent lightning.
Rain chances are expected to reach 70% Tuesday, with most of metro Atlanta likely seeing three-quarters of an inch to an inch of rainfall, and some isolated areas nearing two inches.

“The rain chance on Tuesday is going to be at 70%,” Forbes said. “There’s a better chance than not of seeing some rain. In an extreme instance, you might see upwards of about two inches.”

The timing of the storms could coincide with one of the busiest travel days of the year.

“We’re going to see scattered showers and storms over the airport at some point, maybe at several points,” Forbes explained. “Planes can’t get through fronts — they go around them — so you’re going to be looking at longer flight times from any cities that are on the other side of that boundary: Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Louisville.”

Add in the holiday crowds, and even small disruptions could ripple through the national flight network.

“Mix into that the number of people flying, the number of planes in the air, and then, oh, by the way, it’s going to storm at Hartsfield–Jackson at some point,” Forbes said. “So Tuesday at the airport, we might have some visitors spending the night with us here in the Atlanta area.”

Clear, seasonable Thanksgiving in Atlanta

What’s next:

The good news: once the front moves through Tuesday night, skies will clear and temperatures will drop sharply — setting up a chilly but calm Thanksgiving Day.

“We clear out for Thanksgiving,” Forbes said. “Then it’s smooth sailing into next weekend.”

The Source: Information in this article came from the National Weather Service and FOX 5 Storm Team forecasts for Atlanta the week of Nov. 24, 2025.

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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Falcons adjust roster ahead of game vs. New Orleans Saints

Published

3 days ago

November 22, 2025

Press Room

Atlanta Falcons adjust roster ahead of game vs. New Orleans Saints

Finally, the Falcons have elevated Robinson and Drummond to the active roster, the latter likely to accommodate better depth at receiver with Drake London out with a knee injury.

This is Robinson’s second consecutive elevation (Week 11 and 12) and Drummond’s third overall (Week 8, 9 and 12).

Reminder: Every team can elevate two players from the practice squad to the active roster for each game day. A player is allowed three elevations per season. A fourth elevation would require the player to be signed to the 53-man roster. Drummond officially falls into that category following his third elevation.