NPR “Morning Edition” — Deborah Scott has been working as a grassroots organizer in Georgia for nearly four decades. NPR's Noel King talks to Scott about how she began, and how her work has helped to galvanize voters.

This week, two Democrats from Georgia were sworn into the U.S. Senate, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. For decades, Georgia was a reliably Republican state. So what happened? Organizers say it took a years-long campaign that was not aimed at flipping the party that controlled the state, but aimed at building a new and better Georgia regardless of party.

Deborah Scott is one of the organizers. She moved to Georgia as a teenager to attend Clark Atlanta University. She was from Ohio. And she was astonished to realize that in the late 1980s, the KKK would still show up to civil rights marches. [LISTEN HIERE]

BLOOMBERG: “Balance of Pwer with David Westin” (Watch at 25:33) — Market jitters rise as the virus surges again and the Georgia Senate runoffs loom. Guests: Bloomberg Contributor Rick Davis, Dr. William Moss of Johns Hopkins, Kiersten Todt of the Cyber Readiness Institute, Deborah Scott of Georgia STAND-UP (Source: Bloomberg) [Watch Segment at 25:33 HERE]

NPR “The 1A” — The presidential election is over, but the fight for control of Congress is still ongoing in Georgia.

Incumbent Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are campaigning against their respective opponents, Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, ahead of Jan. 5 elections.

The outcomes in Georgia will decide control of the Senate. If both Democrats win, the Senate would be split between the two parties, 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats. Current Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would cast tie-breaking votes once she assumes office.

If only one Democratic candidate loses, Republicans will control the Senate and Mitch McConnell (R-K.Y.) will remain in his position as Senate Majority Leader.

Meanwhile, the current president isn't making things any easier for his party's candidates. The Washington Post obtained tape of President Donald Trump pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" more votes to overturn his loss of the state during the presidential election.

We spoke to Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff about his campaign, WABE's Emma Hurt, Deborah Scott, executive director of Georgia STAND-UP and CEO of Dominion Voting Systems John Poulos about what's ahead in the Peach State.

PBS NEWS HOUR — President-elect Biden on Tuesday flew to the battleground state of Georgia, where two races will decide the Senate's balance of power. The visit came after Vice President Pence's trip last week to Georgia and as President Trump continues questioning the election. Judy Woodruff spoke with Deborah Scott, executive director of the nonpartisan group, Georgia Stand-Up, about efforts to turn out voters.

“Well, we are so excited here in Georgia,” said Georgia STAND-UP Executive Director Deborah Scott. “Despite the holidays, we are excited and ready to get the vote out. We have been out to the polls. The first two days started yesterday with early voting, and we have been out there again today, giving out voter care kits. We're excited because we know that people are coming out; 200,000 people have already cast their vote. We — they're not leaving lines, despite the weather. It's cold outside, and people are standing inside. And what we're seeing is, people are determined to make sure their vote counts.” (MORE)

DEXERTO — Founded 26 years ago, DreamHack is a major tournament organizer that has also provided dozens of gaming festivals on a global scale. For the first time, they’ve decided to refresh their visual identity.

Announcing the changes on DreamHack Day" — an annual celebration of the company where they usually share what’s up their sleeve — the next evolution of the company includes a “reinvigorated logo, dynamic color palette, bold typeface, and energized graphics.”

The new branding hopes to celebrate the first 25 years of DreamHack and sets them up for their next quarter of a century. This move follows a merger of the company with ESL under the banner of DreamHack, which took place in September 2020.

Dexerto spoke with Shahin Zarrabi, vice president of brand and corporate marketing at ESL Gaming, to better understand the need for change, what this means for the future of DreamHack, and why now was the perfect time to roll it out. [MORE]

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Decades before Joseph R. Biden Jr. flipped Georgia for the Democrats, Felicia Davis was a one-stop political organizing dynamo in Clayton County, canvassing for issues rather than candidates, for her community rather than a political party.

The boom of her voice and the clarity of her convictions command respect. In her operation, even the teenagers are paid $15 an hour to knock on doors and distribute literature. Almost everyone is diligent: She is not someone to disappoint.

… “We weren’t surprised that Georgia turned blue, because we’ve been working on it for over 15 years,” said Deborah Scott, the founder of Georgia Stand Up. When she started the group in 2004, she said, it was hard to persuade philanthropy groups and political foundations that focus on grass-roots organizing to consider Georgia.” [MORE]

ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE — The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every industry and every business. But few have been hit like the entertainment industry, where the thirst for content across the board (TV/film, music, streaming, gaming) has barely been able to keep up with productions of that content, especially in light of the need to keep sets healthy and safe.

Like many other industries, entertainment in the U.S. shut down in March, with stages and concert halls going dark, and film and TV sets shuttering in an attempt to curb the spreading virus. Georgia is one of the first locations where the industry is ramping up again.

… “In 2021, we will film and release Gamemaster. We feel confident in our ability to do that because the medical community, our industry organizations like SAG-Aftra, our host Wil Wheaton and our team are committed to following all of the guidelines and protocols to keep everyone safe. It will be a transition from productions of the past but it is not insurmountable,” said GameMaster Co-Executive Producer/Co-Creator Laurie Lockliear. [MORE]

FORBES — Back in April, One World: Together At Home, the star-studded benefit concert organized by Global Citizen and curated by Lady Gaga, raised $128 million for the World Health Organization and other Covid relief beneficiaries. But while the event drew hundreds of thousands to a six-hour concert livestream and nearly 21 million viewers across the 26 networks on which a two-hour show aired live, very few of those dollars came from individual donors.

… In July, Wiz Khalifa staged a virtual concert in conjunction with esports team the Pittsburgh Knights and Softgiving—which operates a free fundraising platform for influencers as well as a managed events service for charities—to benefit Rise Above the Disorder.

The multiplatinum recording artist has an Instagram following of more than 31 million, yet he raised less than $10,000, according to Matt Pfaltzgraf, CEO of Softgiving, who notes: “Wiz’s conversion of people watching the stream was in the few hundreds of people, from his millions of social media followers.” [MORE]

WASHINGTON POST — For Deborah Scott, executive director of Georgia Stand-Up, it's as if Election Day never ended.

The get-out-the-vote efforts of civic engagement groups like hers, which helped Joe Biden become the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the state in nearly three decades, have been ongoing since Nov. 3. The group is still knocking on doors, calling voters and signing up new registrants, with a big push involving 100 volunteers planned for this weekend. Another group that works to mobilize voters of color set up tables at a recent high school graduation to register newly eligible young voters. A third group is reaching voters at transit stations. [MORE]

CNN, “Anderson Cooper 360”— This is Georgia STAND-UP, one of several voting rights groups in the state. In the run-up to November, it and other grassroots groups that had worked with Abrams hit the pavement hard. registering new voters. motivating Black turnout. and helped flip Georgia for the democrats in the presidential race, for the first time in two decades.

Deborah Scott has been in this fight for 20 years. When it comes to Georgia's voting rights, it's black women leading the charge. “Black women leading organizations and organizing and canvassing and phone banking and organizing youth and organizing churches and organizing in every pocket of georgia.” ,,,

WATCH HERE

CBS-46 ATLANTA — Rapper and actor Common's music is always inspiring and knowledgeable, and now with Election Day drawing near, he's using his talents to get Georgians to the polls early.

The GRAMMY award-winning artist is one of the most respected names in hip-hop; often noted for his positive energy and activism. And with early voting coming to a close on October 30, Common is in Atlanta for next four days discussing civic engagement.

"There's nothing like changing people by being with them," says Common. "I think it shows that you care at an even higher level." [MORE]

HYPEPOTAMUS — With many businesses and organizations continuing to suffer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, non-profits were probably hit the hardest due to their inability to raise funds through traditional methods.

Most non-profit organizations typically receive the bulk of their funds through in-person events such as galas and athletic events (such as 5k runs). And with the absence of these events, they must figure out alternative methods, which is where Atlanta-based online fundraising platform Softgiving steps in. [MORE]