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According to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal, the modern swimming pool is ready to receive a new upgrade in the form of a disappearing pool. Better known as a movable floor, this function allows pool owners to raise the floor of their pool to meet the surface, hiding the pool underneath and giving the owners a usable patio. The raised floor can hold between 20 and 60 pounds per square foot, which will be strong enough to support people, patio furniture, and even a car. Then, when the owner is ready to use the pool, the hydraulic system will lower the floor and create a pool of any depth from a shallow kiddie pool to a more advanced lap pool. The price range for the movable floors is anywhere from $300 to $550 per square foot, making it a luxury item for the time being. T...

A new report has broken down each state by car accident deaths to show the safest and most dangerous states for drivers. Researchers Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute looked at statistics from 2013 to find answers. They took a look at statistics on traffic fatalities in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration database. In addition to finding the death rate for traffic deaths, they also did the math to figure out how those deaths compared to the rest of the deaths in each state. The interesting thing about their research was that their findings were unexpected. States with higher traffic congestion seem to be the obvious choice for a higher death rate, but their findings actually proved the opposite. They f...

U.S. military rescue teams from the Coast Guard and Navy are searching for survivors of a fatal shipwreck that was caused by the devastating conditions of Hurricane Joaquin. According to CBS News, a cargo ship named El Faro was destroyed last week as its captain attempted to bypass the hurricane. Rescuers are desperately scouring the area where the ship is presumed to have sunk in an attempt to locate possible survivors. The 790-foot ship was carrying vehicles and other large industrial goods from Jacksonville to Puerto Rico when it sank in the Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas. Also on board were 33 crew members, one of whom was found dead in a survival suit upon the arrival of rescue teams. El Faro is presumed to have been disabled while bypassing the storm due to a mechanical fai...

In New York City, a controversial law banning food containers made from plastic foam has been overturned by the state's Supreme Court. Although the ban initially had bipartisan support in the state, opponents say recycling was never seriously considered as an alternative. In 2013, New York City lawmakers voted to ban plastic foam containers, unless an investigation determined that the plastic containers could be effectively recycled instead. After the law went into effect this July, a group of custom product packaging manufacturers, restaurant owners, and recyclers sued the city. The group successfully argued that recycling the food containers was not only a viable plan, but one that would save the city money. New York Supreme Court Judge Margaret Chan ruled that the Department of Sa...

Before 29-year-old Brittany Maynard took the medication that would end her life, she spent an hour on the phone with California Governor Jerry Brown. The young California woman urged him to help pass "Right-to-Die" legislation in California, the same type of law that allowed her to peacefully take her own life, surrounded by friends and family, in Oregon. In recent years, euthanasia advocates have tried to re-brand the procedure, instead arguing for a right-to-die or "death with dignity" laws. Maynard suffered from terminal brain cancer herself, and was a passionate proponent of laws that allow people with terminal illnesses to end their life on their own terms. Now, Gov. Brown has a right-to-die bill waiting for his signature, and the country is waiting to see what he will do. This ...

Lottery winners in Illinois are definitely not happy lately, but it isn’t because they’re losing. It’s because they’re winning, but they’re receiving a big ol’ I.O.U. from the Illinois Lottery because of the state’s budget problems. According to the Chicago Sun Times and New York Daily Post, the Illinois legislature doesn’t have its budget figured out yet and is therefore unable to pay lotto winners if their prize is more than $25,000. The state’s fiscal year ended on June 30 -- nearly three months ago -- but Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democrat-controlled Illinois legislature haven’t come to an agreement on a spending plan for the current year. Many Americans don’t realize it, but each state controls its own lottery and is responsible for paying lottery winnings; everything...