VisitErie unveils new brand celebrating life by the lake
Last year, tourism in the Erie area generated over $1.2 billion in visitor spending and supported more than 15,000 jobs. VisitErie's rebranding effort is designed to maintain this momentum by appealing to both visitors and residents.
'Visitors and what they are looking for and what they want has changed,' said John Oliver, President & CEO of VisitErie. 'Visitors in the past it was often a static vacation. Now, they want to be active.'
The new brand, 'Good Life. Great Lake.', is intended to reflect Erie as a year-round destination, offering experiences from sandy summer beaches to snow-covered slopes.
State officials emphasize National Safe Boating Week ahead of Memorial Day
John Oliver emphasized that the region provides a wide range of activities to keep visitors engaged and stress-free.
Emily Biddle, Director of Marketing & Research at VisitErie, highlighted the significance of living on a Great Lake, noting that it is a major draw for both residents and visitors. 'We sort of take for granted the fact that we live on a great lake, that's huge,' she said.
The rebranding process took 18 months and involved developing not just a new logo and tagline, but a comprehensive look, feel, and tone.
Emily Biddle explained that the process was about understanding what resonates with people and creating a brand that embodies the local community.
The rebranding is built on five key pillars: the great outdoors, a foodie favorite, markers and culture, family-friendly for all ages, and heritage woven in. These pillars aim to promote Erie as a diverse and attractive destination for various interests.
With this new branding strategy, VisitErie hopes to continue attracting both new and returning visitors, potentially leading to further growth in tourism and economic benefits for the region.
'It's going to encourage visitors, those that haven't been here, to say 'hey we should give this a try',' John Oliver stated.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WJET/WFXP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WJET/WFXP staff before being published.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Atlantic
3 hours ago
- Atlantic
Google Might Be Next to Settle With Trump
Of all the titans of social media, Google CEO Sundar Pichai tried to keep the groveling to a minimum after Donald Trump won last year. He did not, like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, go on podcasts to praise the benefits of 'masculine energy' or hire the new president's close friend, the UFC boss Dana White, to his board of directors. He did not, like X owner Elon Musk, go to work in the White House or publicly declare his straight-man 'love' for Trump. Unlike TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, Pichai never pushed a notification to all app users (with an exclamation point!) thanking Trump for his efforts. There was instead a brief visit to Mar-a-Lago, the requisite $1 million Google donation to Trump's inaugural fund, and the stoic appearance as a background prop during the ceremony in the U.S. Capitol rotunda. Even Pichai's statement that day read dutiful and dry: 'We look forward to working with you to usher in a new era of technology + AI innovation that will benefit all Americans.' But the man who runs YouTube may soon get another opportunity to demonstrate his fealty. Trump had sued Zuckerberg, Pichai, and the former CEO of Twitter (which Musk later purchased and renamed X) in 2021 for restricting his accounts after the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The president alleged that the companies and executives had illegally censored him at the urging of U.S. political leaders, violating his First Amendment rights. It was an ironic argument from a politician who likes to settle political grudges with governmental threats. But it was an effective one: During their postelection courtships of Trump, Zuckerberg settled his case with a payment of $25 million, mostly to Trump's presidential-library fund, and Musk followed with $10 million more. Now it may be Pichai's turn. Lawyers for President Trump and Pichai have begun 'productive discussions' about the next steps of the case against YouTube, 'with additional discussions anticipated in the near future,' according to briefs filed in a San Francisco federal court shortly after Memorial Day that appear to have escaped public notice. The parties have asked the judge to give them until September 2 to come to an agreement on a path forward. 'I can't talk about that,' John Cole, a lawyer in the case for Trump, told me when I called to ask about settlement talks. José Castañeda, a spokesperson for Google, also declined to comment. The fact that the talks are happening at all says more about Trump's remarkable use of presidential power than his legal prowess or the merits of his case. In 2022, a federal district court dismissed Trump's case against X after concluding that Trump had failed to 'plausibly allege' that Twitter's decision to ban his account was directed by the government. Trump's case against YouTube was put on hold while Trump appealed the X case to the Ninth Circuit, which appeared likely to rule against Trump again. But Musk's decision to settle his case while he was working alongside Trump in the White House prevented the appeals court from issuing a decision, and effectively reopened the YouTube case this spring. That has left Pichai with a difficult choice: Continue with a legal fight he may win on the merits and risk the wrath of the president of the United States, or agree to give some money to Trump's presidential library and move on. The whole situation is head-spinning: Trump has shown that he can successfully use the powers of his elected office to threaten private companies into settling civil suits even when the cases are based on the allegation that those same companies broke the law by caving to the demands of politicians like him. 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'This story should be about how pitiful it was for Big Tech to censor the former President of the United States—not the other way around. The President is holding these powerful and wealthy institutions accountable for their years of wrongdoing.' Legal observers suggest another way of looking at Trump's approach to free speech. ''I will support my friends and go after the people who oppose me,'' Raymond Brescia, an associate dean at Albany Law School, told me. 'It's hard to look at it any other way.' About three months after he took office, Trump alleged during an Oval Office signing ceremony that the Biden administration had illegally launched Internal Revenue Service investigations into his supporters because of their political views. 'We're finding that many people, just having to do with Trump support, have gone through hell,' he said. 'It's a very illegal thing to do what they did.' I was in the room that day, and I asked Trump how he squared that concern with his decision to entertain changing Harvard University's tax status because he did not like its diversity policies and its handling of on-campus protests. He quickly pivoted. 'Because I think Harvard is a disgrace. I think what they did was a disgrace,' he said. Harvard, of course, has asked a court to rule that Trump's various punishments violate the First Amendment. This week's settlement by Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS News, offers further evidence of his mindset. Before the 2024 election, Trump filed a lawsuit against CBS Broadcasting Inc., alleging that the network had violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by choosing to air two different edits, on two different shows, of Vice President Kamala Harris's answer to a question. Such editing is a routine part of political journalism, which regularly shortens quotes and tapes for brevity. Trump argued that the version that aired for a larger audience on 60 Minutes made Harris look deceptively better because it left out some of her confusing stammering. Rather than wait for the courts to address the merits of his claim, he applied his own pressure once he regained government power. Trump's new chair of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, reopened a closed complaint alleging that the editing amounted to 'news distortion.' Carr had previously said that the claim should be considered when the FCC weighed approval of the proposed merger of Paramount Global and its new investor, Skydance. Trump egged Carr on. In a post complaining about a different 60 Minutes segment in April, Trump wrote that he hoped Carr would 'impose the maximum fines and punishment' on CBS. Paramount agreed Tuesday to give $16 million to Trump's presidential library to settle the Harris-interview case. Trump's presidential-library foundation, which incorporated in Florida in May, has not yet disclosed its plans for what to do with all the settlement money. Trump's son Eric Trump, his son-in-law Michael Boulos, and an attorney for the Trump Organization, James Kiley, have been named the initial trustees. All the while, the Trump administration has continued to ceremoniously embrace the First Amendment rights of American companies and citizens. On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order called Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship, which condemned the Biden administration for 'exerting substantial coercive pressure' on social-media companies to moderate posts on their sites. Trump declared that it was now the policy of the United States to 'ensure that no Federal Government officer, employee, or agent engages in or facilitates any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen.' 'There is a new sheriff in town,' Vice President J. D. Vance declared on February 14 in Munich, Germany. 'And under Donald Trump's leadership, we may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer them in the public square, agree or disagree.' Vance didn't mention that just three days earlier, Leavitt had told an Associated Press reporter that, at Trump's direction, the AP would lose its permanent spot in the White House press pool, barring it from the Oval Office and Air Force One, until the wire service started referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the ' Gulf of America.' A district-court judge ruled that this decision violated the First Amendment rights of the AP, though the ruling was later paused by an appellate court after the White House imposed broader changes on how the pool system is organized. The AP, which has not bowed to Trump's demands and has yet to regain its spot, has since been let into the pool on occasion and continues to have access to White House briefings. The courts have not been impressed by such misdirection. Just three months after Trump's executive order barring unconstitutional abridgement of free speech, D.C. federal district Judge Beryl A. Howell ruled that Trump had committed that exact offense. At issue was a March 6 executive order, 14230, that declared that employees of the law firm Perkins Coie should be limited from entering federal buildings, interacting with federal employees, or holding security clearances because of the firm's 'dishonest and dangerous' activity, including the decision to represent Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign and to promote diversity in its hiring practices. Three other federal judges have since thrown out Trump executive orders targeting three more law firms on the same grounds. 'In a cringe-worthy twist on the theatrical phrase 'Let's kill all the lawyers,' EO 14230 takes the approach of 'Let's kill the lawyers I don't like,' sending the clear message: lawyers must stick to the party line, or else,' Judge Howell explained while voiding the executive order. Trump appealed Howell's ruling this week to the D.C. Circuit. Should Pichai choose to fight it out in court with Trump, he would quite possibly get a favorable ruling. When the Ninth Circuit heard the X case in 2023, two of the three judges on the panel questioned the evidence that Trump had gathered to suggest that his ban from Twitter had been caused by government pressure. As in the YouTube case, Trump's lawyers had presented only general comments from public officials about the need for social-media companies to increase moderation, including from members of the House and Senate, then-candidates Joe Biden and Harris, and former first lady Michelle Obama. 'Why do statements from, let's say, four senators at a committee hearing all of a sudden commit all of the power of the federal government to create state action here?' Ninth Circuit Judge Jay Bybee, an appointee of President George W. Bush, asked during oral arguments in the case. 'I don't know of any case that stands for that proposition.' The problem for Pichai is different, of course, as it was for Zuckerberg, Musk, and Paramount—and will be for anyone else Trump targets. Google could end up losing more by prevailing in court than it will win by conceding the case and making an eight-figure donation to Trump's presidential library.


American Press
7 hours ago
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Trump touts falling gas prices for holiday weekend
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Tom's Guide
7 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Dell discount codes for July 2025
Yes, Dell offers free standard UK shipping for every order, meaning there is no minimum order amount to qualify for this. Dell also offers its rewards members the ability to claim free expedited delivery for specially marked products. Yes, Dell offers up to 30% off for anyone in education. You'll need to verify with your UK education status with a valid education email address through the Dell website to qualify. Yes, Dell offers a limited hardware warranty on most of its products. This can vary from a 1 to 5-year warranty. Find out more on the limited hardware warranty page on the Dell website. Some products may be eligible for a warranty extension that you can check on the warranty & service extension page. Join the Rewards Program: Dell Rewards is the brand's membership scheme and can help you save money on regular or repeat Dell purchases. It's free to join through the Dell website, and members will earn 3% back on every order total in reward points. Points can be collected and redeemed against future orders in order to get discounts or free UK expedited shipping. You can manage your points by logging in to your Dell account. Look out for seasonal sales: Like many big-name tech brands, Britain's key retail events are big chances to save on Dell products. The likes of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, New Year's & Memorial Day can see as much as 50% off selected Dell devices, so always check in around these times of year for new offers. Trade in with Dell: Dell operates a trade-in system that lets you trade in your old devices to receive credit that you can put towards your next purchase. Let Dell know which device you want to trade in and what condition it's in and they'll let you know how much credit it's worth. If you're happy with the offer price, they'll arrange free shipping so you can send it to them. Register for the Dell newsletter: You can provide your email address through the Dell website to receive news on products & services direct to your inbox, including exclusive offers & info on special events so you never miss a chance to save again. 1) Choose a Dell coupon you'd like to use and click 'Get Code'. Copy the code for later. 2) Head to the Dell website and add the products you want to your basket. 3) Click on your basket when you're ready to head to the checkout. 4) On the checkout screen, look for the box labelled "Add a gift card or promotion code or voucher'. It's usually under the box marked 'Payment method'. 5) Click inside of the "Promotion code" box and enter your Dell coupon code from Step 1. 6) Click 'Apply' and your order total will change to reflect your savings. The codes listed on each vouchers page on Tom's Guide have been sourced by our dedicated vouchers team, who find the latest codes through the web and our relationships with retailers and affiliate networks. Each page is updated every few days to include up-to-date offers and ways to save, and our London-based commercial team uses our connections with retailers to source exclusive codes directly from some of the biggest brands on the market. Every voucher code on Tom's Guide has been tested by our offers team, based in Cardiff, to make sure they work before we upload them. The codes on Tom's Guide can be used for a wide range of savings, covering student discounts, free shipping deals, and site-wide or product-specific savings. We want to make sure every voucher is ready to use whenever someone visits one of our pages, so we don't include any user-specific or one-time use codes. Each offer also includes as much information as we can find on its terms and conditions to keep things clear, and any applicable expiry dates will be listed next to the offer details. You can view the full list of terms and conditions by clicking the corresponding text below the main offer text and expanding the section. Although we work hard to only include tried and tested vouchers on our pages, sometimes codes can expire or terms and conditions can be changed before we have a chance to update the code or our pages. If your discount isn't being applied at the checkout, there are a number of things you can do. First, check you meet any listed requirements such as multibuy offers, minimum spends, or product-specific deals. For example, you may need to buy 3 items to receive your discount, or your code may only be applicable to orders with certain models (i.e. 10% off specific smartphones). If you need to review the details of your chosen deal, click the text that reads 'View terms and conditions' below the main text. If you are still experiencing issues applying your discount, don't worry - our team is on hand to help. Just email and include information on the code you tried to redeem and which of our pages it was listed on. A member of our team will be in touch to offer support as soon as they can. Tom's Guide makes money from vouchers on a commission basis. We have agreements with every retailer that has a vouchers page for, and for every order placed using one of our codes, we earn a portion of the order total back in commission from that retailer. Using this model means all of our profits are paid for by the retailers we partner with, and we do not pass any costs on to our users. Using one of our vouchers will never cost you anything - you'll only pay for the discounted products you're looking to buy, so you can rest easy knowing you get exactly what it says on the tin. Want to read more about Tom's Guide vouchers? You can find more information on our dedicated page, where we break down How We Source Voucher Codes and How to Use Them on your online orders.