No Recovery, No Fee

Insects are vital to keeping the world’s ecosystems in balance. Every spring, billions of insects migrate to far-flung locations to fulfill a wide range of critical functions, including performing cross-continental pollination, transferring essential nutrients to soils, decomposing organic matter, and sustaining local wildlife by providing a food source. They also transfer genetic information, allowing plants to maintain a diverse genetic pool, potentially mitigating changes in environmental conditions. To grasp the scale of the annual insect migration, consider this: in just over a month, researchers recorded 39 million insects migrating from the Middle East to Cyprus alone.

Cases of mesothelioma around the world have been increasing along with a rise in the global use of asbestos, despite an acknowledgment more than 40 years ago by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that all forms of asbestos are carcinogenic. Asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma, a cancer of the tissue that lines the lungs, chest wall, and abdomen. Given that asbestos continues to be used globally in a variety of commercial products, it’s not surprising that mesothelioma cases and deaths associated with the disease have been rising too.

When award-winning filmmaker Brian Lilla moved to Napa Valley, California, he quickly learned about the health hazards lurking in wine country. In his new documentary, “Children of the Vine,” Lilla shows how the use of Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide and its active ingredient, glyphosate, has affected those who work in and live nearby. “I didn’t want to run away from the problem,” Lilla said in an interview with the nonprofit publication Capital & Main. “No matter where I go, there’s going to be glyphosate in the food. Yes, it blew my mind to find out how much it’s being used in the vineyards. But I want to make it clear that the vineyards are not the villains, nor are farms.”

More than 150 priests, deacons, teachers and seminarians within the Archdiocese of Baltimore have been accused of sexually abusing more than 600 children and young adults over an eight-decade period. An explosive report by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office details pervasive sexual abuse within the country’s oldest Roman Catholic diocese. In some cases, parishes, schools and congregations had more than one alleged abuser at work. One, St. Mark’s Parish in Catonsville, had 11 alleged abusers living and working there between 1964 and 2004. One deacon admitted to molesting more than 100 children.

Day and night, individuals battling cancer and their families face a seemingly never ending list of challenges. Medical care provides only so much, even for those with the best health insurance. The extreme physical, emotional and financial toll can make an already difficult situation even worse. Hawai‘i-based U.S. vs. Cancer (USVC) has emerged as a rare beacon of support, providing financial assistance for families battling cancer while also funding cutting-edge research. Founder Jamil Newirth and the organization’s leadership have each been impacted by cancer and are committed to using their nimble non-profit to fill the gaps and make a difference. The 501c3 organization provides direct out-of-pocket cancer related expenses, including health care co-pays, as well as funds for alternative or experimental therapies, travel for treatment and supplies. Such services are critically important given the limited resources and treatment options available in Hawai‘i, especially on neighbor islands. USVC held its inaugural Catalyst for Hope fundraiser on August 17, and Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman was honored to join its “Founders Circle,” the highest level of sponsorship. This year’s benefit raised nearly $190,000.