A fight over how easily airline employees can unionize -- with Delta Airlines right at the forefront -- stands in the way of long-term funding for the Federal Aviation Administration. Sept. 16 will mark the expiration of a congressional stopgap measure that ended a partial shutdown of the agency, putting airport inspections and construction projects back on track. If lawmakers such as Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson can't forge a compromise, many of the 2,500 FAA employees based in Atlanta -- not including air traffic controllers -- could face furloughs. With Congress set to return next week, the AJC will keep you right on top this evolving conflict.

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Inventor Lonnie Johnson stands with his Super Soaker water guns at JTEC Energy on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. Johnson, a former NASA engineer, is currently working on a new energy technology through his company’s JTEC device that turns thermal heat into usable energy. (Natrice Miller/AJC)