Thursday, June 18, 2026

Uber Passenger Sexual Assault Filings Lead Daily Docket as Talcum Powder and Depo-Provera Expand

Rideshare safety liability and prescription drug injury claims dominated the federal mass-tort landscape, driving a surge of new filings across several highly active consolidations. The daily volume was led by the Uber Passenger Sexual Assault litigation (MDL 3084), which logged 42 new complaints driven primarily by a filing surge from William Hart & Boundas LLP. Cosmetic and contraceptive safety concerns also expanded, with 36 new filings added to the Talcum Powder docket (MDL 2738) largely by Frazer PLC, while the Depo-Provera litigation (MDL 3140) generated 35 actions distributed between Gori Law Firm PC and Morgan & Morgan PA. Prescription drug claims maintained steady momentum as the Suboxone dental decay litigation (MDL 3092) added 23 cases, with Robert Peirce & Associates PC acting as lead counsel for the majority. Rounding out the active dockets, the Social Media Addiction litigation (MDL 3047) recorded 15 new claims focused on youth mental health, filed predominantly by Keller Postman LLC. See the full filing feed and firm-level breakdowns here.

Kentucky Attorney General Sues Kalshi, Polymarket, and VGW Over Unlicensed Gambling

On June 17, 2026, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman filed three lawsuits against prediction-market and social-gaming operators — Kalshi, Polymarket, and Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW) — alleging they run unlicensed and illegal gambling and sports-betting platforms within the state. The complaints frame the companies' event contracts and online casino-style games as unregulated wagering that sidesteps Kentucky's licensing and consumer-protection requirements, rather than as licensed sportsbook activity. The action is part of an escalating jurisdictional battle between state regulators and the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over who may regulate and tax prediction markets, a fight now playing out across multiple states. It is distinct from the separate wave of private civil and class claims accusing licensed operators such as DraftKings and FanDuel of addictive design and inadequate responsible gaming safeguards. Kentucky's enforcement suits underscore how states are policing the boundary between regulated betting and unlicensed online gambling as both markets expand.

Immanuel Baptist Church Reaches Settlement in Arkansas Clergy Abuse Suit

On June 16, 2026, Immanuel Baptist Church in Arkansas informed its members that its insurance carrier had reached a settlement resolving a "John Doe" sexual abuse lawsuit — a development widely reported the following day — the latest resolution in the broader Church Abuse litigation targeting institutional concealment of clergy misconduct. While the terms were not made public, the agreement underscores how individual congregations — not only large dioceses — are increasingly being held to account through civil actions, bankruptcy proceedings, and attorney-general investigations. The settlement arrives amid a wave of revival suits unlocked by state lookback windows, which have allowed survivors to bring previously time-barred claims and have driven a series of diocesan bankruptcy plan confirmations nationwide. Because these matters proceed through state civil and bankruptcy venues rather than a consolidated federal docket, each resolution like Immanuel Baptist's both compensates claimants and reinforces the institutional-accountability theory animating the litigation as a whole.