Nevada
Nevada AG launches go-it-alone lawsuits against social media firms in state court
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nevada’s state attorney general has launched a go-it-alone legal fight against five popular social media platforms, alleging they have created, in one instance “an addiction machine,” and that they deliberately exploit children too young to have a capacity for self-control.
A trio of lawsuits filed in state court in Las Vegas seek unspecified damages from TikTok, Snapchat and Meta Platforms, the owner of Instagram, Facebook and Messenger, on claims including deceptive trade practices and negligence.
“All of these platforms use features … to maximize youth use, manipulate young emotions, and exploit children’s developing minds — all for massive financial gain,” state Attorney General Aaron Ford said in a statement about the lawsuits filed Tuesday.
“Each of these platforms has also been linked to serious dangers to kids, including auto accidents, increases in drug overdoses, suicides, eating disorders, sexual exploitation and more,” the statement said.
The lawsuits were filed just ahead of testimony in Congress on Wednesday by top executives of Meta, TikTok, Snap Inc. and other platforms.
TikTok representative Michael Hughes declined in an email on Wednesday to comment about the legal case but pointed to posted policies and parental controls that he said were designed to prioritize the safety and “digital well-being” of teens.
“We do not allow content depicting, promoting, normalizing or glorifying activities that could lead to suicide or self-harm, or content that promotes unhealthy eating behaviors or habits that are likely to cause adverse health outcomes,” the email said.
Snap Inc. spokesperson Ashley Adams said in a statement the site opens to a camera, not a scrolling feed of content, “and has no traditional public likes or comments.”
“We feel good about the role Snapchat plays in helping close friends feel connected, happy and prepared as they face the many challenges of adolescence,” the statement said.
Meta representative Chris Sgro said the platform has “people who have dedicated their careers to keeping young people safe and supported online” and offers “tools and features to support them and their parents.”
“We want teens to have safe, age-appropriate experiences online,” he said.
Before Congress, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg responded to Republican Sen. Josh Hawley’s invitation to issue an apology directly to “families of victims.” Some parents at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing held photos of their children who died by suicide.
“I’m sorry for everything you have all been through. No one should go through the things that your families have suffered,” Zuckerberg said, adding that Meta continues to invest and work on “industry-wide efforts” to protect children.
Nevada was not among more than 33 states that filed suit in October against Meta in federal court in California, alleging that features on Instagram and Facebook are designed to addict children.
John Sadler, a spokesperson for Ford, declined to say whether the Nevada lawsuits were timed to coincide with the congressional hearing.
But Sadler acknowledged the decision to file the cases in state court instead of joining other states in federal court follows a path the state took in opioid damages claims. Nevada reached multiyear settlements with pharmaceutical companies, retailers and others in those cases that are expected to reap more than $1 billion for the state.
Ford, a Democrat, enlisted participation in the Nevada case from three prominent personal injury law firms based in Las Vegas, Dallas and Little Rock, Arkansas.
“Social media platforms are a bottomless pit where users can spend an infinite amount of their time,” Nevada said in the Snapchat complaint. “It demands our attention first thing in the morning and last thing at night, at the dinner table, while we’re walking down the street, even when we are driving.”
“Much like an illegal drug, Snapchat has been designed to be an addiction machine,” the court filing said.
Each complaint also cites a 2019 Psychology Today article by Mike Brooks, titled “The ‘Vegas Effect’ of Our Screens,” that compares compulsive social media use to the effect of gamblers sitting at slot machines and playing “for hours on end.”
Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Home prices in Southern Nevada dropped from record highs to end 2025 and less homes sold last year compared with 2024.
Approximately 28,498 existing homes sold in the region last year, which is down almost 9 percent from the 31,305 homes that sold in 2024, according to trade association Las Vegas Realtors, which pulls its data from the Multiple Listing Service. This is the lowest number of homes sold in a year in Southern Nevada since 2007 right before the Great Recession.
The median sale price for a house sold in Southern Nevada in December was approximately $470,000, a 3.9 percent drop from November, according to LVR. By the end of December, LVR reported 6,396 single-family homes listed for sale without any sort of offer. That’s up 28.8 percent from one year earlier.
Despite a down year in sales, the local market did end on a high note.
George Kypreos, president of Las Vegas Realtors, said he is optimistic the housing market could turn around this year. The LVR report noted that home sales in Southern Nevada have seen “peaks and valleys” in recent years, generally declining since 2021 when a record 50,010 properties sold.
“Although it was a relatively slow year for home sales, we’re seeing some encouraging signs heading into the new year,” said Kypreos in a statement. “Buyer activity locally and nationally is starting to improve. Home prices have been fairly stable, and mortgage interest rates ended the year lower than they were the previous year. Most trends are pointing to a more balanced housing market in 2026.”
Freddie Mac currently has the average price for a 30-year fixed-term mortgage rate at 6.1 percent. That mortgage rate has not gone below 6 percent since 2022.
The all-time high median home sale price in Southern Nevada was broken multiple times last year, and currently sits at $488,995 which was last set in November while the condo and townhome market has dropped substantially from an all-time high that was set in October of 2024 ($315,000) to $275,000 to end 2025.
Major residential real estate brokerages are mixed as to where the market will head this year as Zillow, Redfin and Realtor.com have all put out their 2026 projections, and they expect a similar market to 2025. Mortgage rates aren’t expected to drop enough next year to unlock the country’s housing market, new builds will continue to lag, and prices will remain relatively elevated.
Realtor.com said in its report that it predicts a “steadier” housing market next year and a slight shift to a more balanced market. Redfin’s report says 2026 will be the year of the “great housing reset,” which means the start of a yearslong period of “gradual increases in home sales and normalization of prices as affordability gradually improves.”
Finally, Zillow said the housing market should “warm up” in 2026 with “buyers seeing a bit more breathing room and sellers benefiting from price stability and more consistent demand.”
Contact Patrick Blennerhassett at pblennerhassett@reviewjournal.com.
TRUCKEE, Calif. — An avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada on Monday buried a snowmobiler in snow and killed him, authorities said.
Rescuers responded after a 911 call around 2:20 p.m. reported a possible avalanche near Johnson Peak and Castle Peak in Truckee.
The snowmobiler was initially reported missing but then was found under the snow several minutes later, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Fellow recreationists found him but he didn’t survive despite lifesaving efforts, according to the statement.
Emergency personnel were working to safely extract the victim late Monday and to confirm no others were buried.
The sheriff’s office said more avalanches could occur and recommended that people avoid the area.
Each winter, 25 to 30 people die in avalanches in the U.S., according to the National Avalanche Center. The center’s current map shows high risk spots in Utah and Washington and areas of considerable risk in California, Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming.
Nevada Preps Winter Sports Rankings
Records through Sunday
Boys basketball
Class 5A
1. Liberty (10-5)
2. Democracy Prep (9-6)
3. Coronado (5-6)
4. Bishop Gorman (9-7)
5. Desert Pines (11-4)
Class 4A
1. Clark (8-5)
2. Las Vegas High (10-4)
3. Losee (7-5)
4. Faith Lutheran (11-5)
5. Shadow Ridge (11-4)
Class 3A
1. Virgin Valley (9-2)
2. The Meadows (9-5)
3. Boulder City (9-5)
4. GV Christian (8-6)
5. Pahrump Valley (5-7)
Games to watch
All games at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted
Tuesday
Losee at Las Vegas
Faith Lutheran at Liberty
Wednesday
Bishop Gorman at Desert Pines
Virgin Valley at The Meadows
Thursday
Coronado at Mojave
Clark at Durango
Friday
Desert Pines at Las Vegas
Virgin Valley at Boulder City
Saturday
Big City Showdown at Coronado
Liberty vs. Desert Pines, 4:30 p.m.
Bishop Gorman vs. Coronado, 8 p.m.
Girls basketball
Class 5A
1. Bishop Gorman (11-1)
2. Democracy Prep (7-4)
3. Centennial (6-3)
4. Liberty (10-7)
5. Shadow Ridge (3-4)
Class 4A
1. Mojave (9-4)
2. Mater East (10-4)
3. Losee (14-5)
4. Del Sol (13-3)
5. Cimarron-Memorial (9-2)
Class 3A
1. Virgin Valley (6-5)
2. Boulder City (8-6)
3. Moapa Valley (8-4)
4. Coral Academy (7-4)
5. Pahrump Valley (4-7)
Games to watch
All games at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted
Wednesday
Faith Lutheran at Shadow Ridge
Centennial at Liberty
Mojave at Desert Oasis
Thursday
Sierra Vista at Cimarron-Memorial, 5 p.m.
Friday
Mater East at Desert Oasis
Virgin Valley at Boulder City
Saturday
Big City Showdown at Coronado
Bishop Gorman vs. Centennial, 6:15 p.m.
Flag football
Class 5A
1. Desert Oasis (8-0)
2. Shadow Ridge (10-1)
3. Arbor View (10-1)
4. Palo Verde (10-3)
5. Liberty (6-2)
Class 4A
1. Virgin Valley (5-3)
2. Sierra Vista (5-2)
3. Mater East (6-3)
4. Clark (7-4)
5. Spring Valley (5-2)
Games to watch
All games at 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Palo Verde at Desert Oasis
Coronado at Bishop Gorman
SECTA at Arbor View
Friday
Shadow Ridge at Palo Verde
Canyon Springs at Arbor View
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