Amazon is planning to open a line of new, futuristic grocery stores, where you can get everything you need without standing in line or checking out. No more impatiently waiting behind people with an overloaded cart, or realizing you forgot your wallet at home.

It sounds like the future, but the online retailer plans to open the first physical store in early 2017. The first will be located in downtown Seattle, but according to the company’s internal plans, it could open up 2,000 new shops across the country within the next decade.

The company showed what the stores would look like in a video released Monday.

Introducing #AmazonGo, a new kind of store with no lines and no checkout. https://t.co/WMii0bWevi pic.twitter.com/OmZdzobA5F

— Amazon (@amazon) December 5, 2016

The shopping would work through an app with the same name as the store–Amazon Go. You would scan your smartphone at a digital gate when entering the store, and then the app would detect which products you pick out and put in your bag. When leaving, the sensors at the exit would notice and the app would automatically charge your Amazon account. Amazon says the stores would use the same technologies as self-driving cars do; computer vision, sensor fusion, and deep learning. The stores would be relatively small, taking up approximately 1,800 square feet.

This seems pretty great for consumers, who would save time and effort by using the Amazon Go stores. But with all this new technology doing the work for us this kind of automation, if it becomes widespread, could lead to a lot of people losing their jobs and source of income. There are already driverless cars in development, so what will happen when that technology is good and safe enough to replace taxi drivers? Likewise, grocery store cashiers are probably not overly excited about Amazon’s new plans.

Amazon Go eliminates the need for cashiers. There are 3.4 million of them in America. https://t.co/GwTvptSjMj

— Christopher Mims (@mims) December 5, 2016

Amazon has flirted with increasing its influence in physical markets for some time now, for example by opening three IRL bookstores with two more on the way. The company also already offers grocery delivery in some major cities. The first Amazon Go store in Seattle is actually already open to Amazon employees, who are currently beta testing the technology. And if everything goes according to plan, it will open to the public early next year.

Amazon Go pic.twitter.com/Eygx2mOh2q

— Caroline McCarthy (@caro) December 5, 2016

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Amazon Plans to Open Grocery Stores Without Checkout Lines appeared first on Law Street.

In a world where over-the-top celebrity Twitter beefs are commonplace, we should never forget that you can still get in trouble for spreading lies about someone. This is especially true in the case of former “mononymous” music couple Ciara and Future, whose less-than-civil uncoupling has led to a $15 million defamation lawsuit.

Ciara reportedly sues Future for $15 million. https://t.co/eHOECVqzd7 pic.twitter.com/ZWmhQnSuVH

— Complex (@ComplexMag) February 9, 2016

Ciara filed the slander and libel suit against her former fiancé and son’s father after he made multiple “false and defamatory statements” criticizing her parenting skills and relationship with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russel Wilson. If you’re on social media and stay relatively informed on pop culture, it’s not hard to figure out exactly which statements she’s referring to.

In January, Future went on a Twitter rant that started with a classy subtweet that read, “This bitch got control problems.” He then went on to write, “I gotta go through lawyers to see babyfuture…the fuckery for 15k a month.”

Before that Future had publicly bad mouthed his ex in July on the popular radio show “The Breakfast Club” after photos surfaced of Wilson pushing his son in a stroller. Around that same time, Future also appeared in an interview with HuffPost Live, where he overshared about his and Ciara’s sex life after Wilson had publicly divulged that the couple was abstaining for religious reasons. Future said, “God told me something else. He ain’t tell me to wait. I guarantee you that.” He then added, “We prayed afterwards though. After we did it, we prayed. That’s a true story.”

In the lawsuit Ciara states that Future’s defamatory statements were “clearly published with actual malice,” and  were  publicity stunts to promote his album release and tours. Ciara also claims Future made said comments in an attempt to disparage her character, destroy her reputation as a good mother, diminish her brand, and impair her professional career in the entertainment industry.

As a result she’s asking a judge to order Future to stop publishing personal information regarding their relationship and their son online, and delete the aforementioned tweets with a public retraction. She’s also asking that her lawyers fees be paid for and that she be awarded $5 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages.

while Future was running his mouth, Ciara was gathering all her receipts for this 15 million dollar lawsuit. pic.twitter.com/5T6ze9wFqi

— CHRIS. (@chrissayssoo_) February 9, 2016

Not surprisingly, the large asking price has many fans divided on the issue, especially on social media. But the fact of the matter is that if Ciara does end up wining it’s unlikely she’d receive the full asking amount. However, from the sound of it, Ciara could end up having to pay Future himself after rumors began circulating that the rapper may countersue claiming Ciara made money off of badmouthing him.

If their history is an indicator of what’s to come, we can confidently conclude that things are about to get real ugly. Hopefully everything works out, for their son’s sake, the pair is stuck dealing with one another for 16 more years.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Ciara Files $15 Million Defamation Lawsuit Against Ex-Fiance Future appeared first on Law Street.

To blog about such a controversial topic like the use and possession of guns in the United States is something I want to tread carefully with. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion surrounding the debate, but this week I could not help but question the legality of guns when coming across two particular cases.

On Thursday, Don Spirit killed his six grandchildren, aged from three months to 10 years old, and his daughter before turning the gun on himself. Spirit, whose case has been described as a murder-suicide, was someone who had already been involved in the criminal justice system. According to Fox:

In 2001, Spirit pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, after he fatally shot his 8-year-old son in the head in a hunting accident. Spirit, who also was convicted in 1998 for felony possession of marijuana, was sentenced to three years in prison for the shooting.

The details of the investigation are still in the very early stages, so it is hard to understand the motive — if there was one — the facts surrounding Spirit’s mental health, and his relationship with the victims. Aside from knowing these facts, I cannot help but wonder how Spirit even managed to have a gun after being convicted of a shooting in 2001? Gun accessibility legislation for ex-convicts really needs to be reconsidered in light of this case.

What I feel a lot of people fail to recognize is that the most common method of suicide in the United States is through the use of guns. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2011 there were 39,518 deaths by suicide. An overwhelming amount of these deaths (19,990) were the result of firearms.  If we are a country that aims to protect our citizens and the rights of others, surely we should look out for ourselves just as much? If we have such easy accessibility to the weapons of our choice that could end our lives, should we not reconsider the laws surrounding them? Do not get me wrong, I am more than aware that the black market for firearms is an ever-growing underground business, but if we cannot efficiently manage the legal selling and keeping of licensed handguns, we have no hope to stop the illegal sales and handlings.

My point needs to be extended to the safety of those living with others who have access to guns. On the same day as the tragic deaths resulting from Spirit’s heinous act, a fifth grade boy was arrested in Michigan after being found to have stolen his grandfather’s pistol. Not only was the boy found with the gun, but he had also created a list of names in the back of his homework book of people he allegedly planned to harm. As a result of this discovery, the boy has been suspended from school for ten days, and could face possible expulsion. Again, this could be my criminological thinking coming out, but I cannot help but wonder whether this punishment will actually solve the problem of what the boy intended to do? I certainly do not think he should be given jail time, or any formal sentence, but I do think that he needs to be aware of just how serious his actions were. Why? Because if he is not aware of it, what is to stop him doing it all over again, and just being more careful.

I fear that in a culture where are part of normality, when conflict arises in such intense situations, sometimes the only resolution seems to be in the form of violence via the use of weapons. I personally do not think this reflects on the attitudes and actions of those involved in this violence, I think it is the instinct that they have been taught their entire lives, to protect themselves in an extremely lethal way. In order to enact firmer laws that protect our safety, we have to start working on understanding the reason for such laws. As someone who is British, and not used to the debate on the use of guns, one of the main things I have come to realize is that it is a right for US citizens to own a gun, and by restricting this right through legislation, essentially the country contradicts all it stands for. As hard as it is to stand back from what an entire population believes in, more awareness needs to be raised toward the consequences of guns, not just for now, but for the future.

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Hannah Kaye (@HannahSKaye) is originally from London, now living in New York. Recently graduated with an MA in criminal justice from John Jay College. Strong contenders for things she is most passionate about are bagels and cupcakes.

Featured image courtesy of [Auraelius via Flickr]

Hannah Kaye

Hannah Kaye is originally from London, now living in New York. Recently graduated with an MA in criminal justice from John Jay College. Strong contenders for things she is most passionate about are bagels and cupcakes. Contact Hannah at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Two More Disturbing Gun Cases Beg the Question When Will We Change? appeared first on Law Street.

The job market it rough. If you’re looking then you’ve likely come across plenty of listings for internships, and you’ve probably thought about applying but you were quickly turned off by the lack of payment. I don’t blame you; however, in some cases these opportunities might be worth your consideration. Here are five questions to ask yourself before shying away completely from an unpaid internship.

1. Can you afford it? If you’ve graduated from college and the price of the real world has started to sink in, anything unpaid sounds a bit ridiculous. But maybe the pros would outweigh the cons if you’re looking for an investment into your future. Which leads us to the next question…

2. What are the hours? If you’re taking anything unpaid, chances are you can’t afford to do it for 40 hours a week. You will either have another job or school. Consider how it could fit into the other parts of your life. If you can do it remotely for some of the time, or it requires little face time in the actual office, then it might not be a bad fit with your other paying jobs.

3. Will it allow you to continue your search? If you do take an internship, you’ll probably still want to job hunt. Keep on keeping on, but make sure you are dedicated to your internship and do your tasks on time and well. Internships are a great opportunity for future references.

4. Is it for a company that offers interns future jobs? A lot of companies consider internships to be training grounds for future employees. If the internship in question is for such a company, it might be worth taking it for the potential alone.

5. Is it in a field of your interest and will it provide tangible experience? Some companies use their interns as coffee mules. It’s sad but true. Internships that provide actual experience are becoming more common, though. Companies are getting busier as the economy improves, but might not want to jump to hiring a full-time employee. These opportunities allow for tons of growth and education in the field of your choice.

So, the net-net? Do your research and make sure the opportunity is worth the expense and time. If it is, do your absolute best. Every experience for your resume will only make the job search easier in the future.

Happy hunting!

xo The Capitalista

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Alexandra Saville (@CapitalistaBlog) is a PR & Media Outreach Manager. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college.

Alexandra Saville

Alexandra Saville is the Media and Writing Specialist at Law Street Media. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college. Her blogs, The Capitalista and Capitalista Careers, focus on the young and the entrepreneurial.

The post 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Taking an Unpaid Internship appeared first on Law Street.