We still have a few weeks left in 2025 and unless something wild happens, these are the top 10 news headlines of the year in Las Vegas — in my book anyway. And no, the opening of Aldi isn’t one of them.
💥 Cybertruck Explosion
The first big news story of the year happened immediately — the morning of January 1 — when a member of the U.S. Army special forces shot himself dead while blowing up a Tesla cybertruck in front of the Trump International Hotel. Was it a political statement towards President-elect Trump or Tesla head Elon Musk? The motives are murky. Fortunately, no one else was killed, keeping the incident from becoming an even bigger story.
🚔 Privately-Funded Metro Technology
The motives behind the burning of Tesla vehicles at a repair shop were more apparent, taking place during Musk’s DOGE era of the Trump administration. Metro police credit high-tech tracking technology for capturing the suspect. The devices were financed by a private donation from venture capitalist Ben Horowitz, who’s also responsible for funding drones and Tesla cybertrucks for the force.
📚 Student Dangers
More students than ever were injured by drivers on the way to and from school this year. Blame the rise of ebikes, distracted driving, overcrowded streets outside schools — or all of the above.
✍️ Legislature Tries Twice
The Nevada legislature met for its regularly scheduled biennial session, got little done, then returned at the request of Gov. Lombardo for a special session in November. We got a crime bill, but no tax credits for movie studios.
💀 The Death of Las Vegas
Or the perceived death, anyway. Visitation was down, prompting resorts to roll out deals and free parking perks. Whether we should worry or not is up for debate, but Vegas’ growing reputation for fees and high prices isn’t going away anytime soon.
🛜 YouTuber Murdered on the Strip
A beef between YouTubers turned deadly, leading to gunfire in front of the Bellagio fountains and two people dead — all captured on a livestream.
🚘 Tesla Tunnel Drama
The Boring Company continued to expand its underground Vegas Loop of Tesla tunnels, earning fresh new rounds of environmental violations in the process. The transportation system also tested autonomous driving and received permission to operate above ground as a low-cost taxi service to and from the airport.
🖥️ Nevada HACKED
Nevada was hit by a cyberattack, shutting down services and closing offices like the DMV. The state declined to pay a ransom request and recovered relatively quickly — although long-term effects may not be known for months, if not years.
🧙 “The Wizard” Comes to the Sphere
The success of an AI-enhanced version of “The Wizard of Oz” was evidence the Sphere could — maybe someday — turn a profit. Franchising a second Sphere in Abu Dhabi is another money generator.
🗳️ The Effects of Washington, D.C.
Federal actions (or inactions) hit Las Vegas at a local level, from the government shutdown (and record demand for food banks) to failure to find any common ground on health care as prices go up. ICE also increased its presence in Las Vegas (although not nearly as much as in places like Portland and Chicago), scaring Broadacres Marketplace into closing for a few weeks, and earning new cooperation agreements with local police.
- Well, I got through my top 10 list without mentioning the Pahrump “tiger king,” but referenced Elon Musk three times 🤷 Does the latest episode of City Cast Las Vegas agree with my headlines? Listen in for another take on the biggest news stories of the year. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]
