These 5 Countries Gave the Most Humanitarian Aid in 2017

Global Citizen | READ STORY

The world spent $27.3 billion on global humanitarian aid in 2017, according to a new report from nonprofit organization Development Initiatives. The Global Humanitarian Assistance Report 2018, released in June, used data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) to determine where resources were most needed in 2017, as well as where they came from and how funds were allocated.

Poll Ranks India the World's Most Dangerous Country for Women

The Guardian| READ STORY

India is the world’s most dangerous country for women due to the high risk of sexual violence and being forced into slave labour, according to a poll of global experts. Afghanistan and Syria ranked second and third in a Thomson Reuters Foundation survey of 548 experts on women’s issues, followed by Somalia and Saudi Arabia.The only western nation in the top 10 was the US, which ranked joint third when respondents were asked where women were most at risk of sexual violence, harassment and being coerced into sex.

Almost Half of US Families Can't Afford Basics like Rent or Food

CNN Money | READ STORY

Nearly 51 million households don't earn enough to afford a monthly budget that includes housing, food, child care, health care, transportation and a cell phone, according to a study released recently by the United Way ALICE Project. That's 43% of households in the United States.California, New Mexico and Hawaii have the largest share of struggling families, at 49% each. North Dakota has the lowest at 32%.

Opting Out of Vaccines Leaves These US 'Hot Spots' Most Vulnerable for Outbreaks

CNN Health | READ STORY

A number of American states and metropolitan "hot spots" are vulnerable to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease, new research suggests. The reason? Children whose parents opted out of vaccination. The risk of outbreaks is rising in 12 of the 18 states that permit nonmedical exemptions from childhood vaccinations, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS Medicine. Those states are Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah.

The Geography of (Not) Jogging

My Interesting News | READ STORY

Only about 23 percent of U.S. adults manage to get the recommended amount of exercise each week in their leisure time, according to a new report from the CDC. Exercise rates among adults vary greatly at the state level, from a low 13.5 percent in Mississippi to a high of 32.5 percent in Colorado, according to the report. As you can see in the map above, about 13 states (shown in dark red) posted a significantly lower percentage of adults who got enough exercise compared to the national average.