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Dove project "Sketches" uses forensic artist to depict women's views of themselves as a study of the standards of beauty.
Dove hired a forensic sketch artist to draw women as they see themselves for a recent video campaign.
Published: April 16, 2013 at 12:45 PM

Dove released a video Monday called 'Sketches' as part of its Real Beauty campaign. In the past, the company has attacked Photoshop-generated beauty and published print ads of non-models in just underwear.

This time around, they hired FBI-trained forensic artist Gil Zamora to create sketches of women describing their own facial features. In the video, women sit behind a curtain as they break down their own faces part-by-part: "I kind of have a fat, rounder face," or "my mom told me I had a big jaw."

Earlier that day, the women were told to spend time with strangers without being told why. And here's what's interesting -- Zamora then re-drew the women based on the descriptions of strangers. The two resulting images were hung side-by-side and shown to the women. The difference is startling.

The ad finishes with the tagline of the campaign -- "You are more beautiful than you think."

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"Four Lions," a farce about an attack on the London Marathon, was set to air Monday night in the U.K. but was pulled in light of the tragedy in Boston.
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch. (File/UPI/Keizo Mori) 
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Published: April 16, 2013 at 12:35 PM
By KRISTEN BUTLER, UPI.com

British TV broadcaster Channel 4 said Tuesday that it has taken a film about a fictional bomb attack during the London Marathon off its film network's schedule following the Boston Marathon bombings.

"Four Lions" was produced by Film4 and screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010. The farce centers on "four incompetent British jihadists" who set out to commit an act of terror by detonating explosives during the London Marathon.

"Sherlock" star Benedict Cumberbatch appeared as a negotiator in the film, which made $4.7 million in box office in the U.K., according to IMDb.

Four Lions was scheduled to air on Channel 4's movie network Film4 at 9pm on Monday, the day after the London Marathon, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Instead, Film4 will air the comedy "Role Models."

"In light of recent tragic events, Film4 has decided not to proceed with the planned broadcast of "Four Lions," which was scheduled for Monday," a spokesman for Channel 4 said.

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Listen to Drake's new single, "Girls Love Beyonce."
UPI/Jim Ruymen 
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Published: April 16, 2013 at 12:29 PM
By KATE STANTON, UPI.com

"I know girls love Beyonce," Drake raps on his mellow new track, posted to Soundcloud on Tuesday, about his relationships with women. The song features singer James Fauntleroy, who helps croon the refrain from Destiny's Child's 1999 hit, "Say My Name."

The song could be on Drake's forthcoming album, "Nothing Was the Same," along with other recent cuts like "No New Friends," according to Rolling Stone.

"These days it’s hard to meet women/Feel like my love life is finished," Drake says. "I’ve been avoiding commitment/That’s why I’m in this position."

Listen to the song below:

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Lisa Sanderson is suing the country superstar for being "paranoid, angry, deceitful and vindictive."
Singer Garth Brooks performs during the taping of CBS's Teacher's Rock special live concert at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on August 14, 2012. The one hour special is scheduled for broadcast on Friday, August 17. UPI/Jim Ruymen 
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Published: April 16, 2013 at 12:13 PM

Garth Brooks's former assistant is suing the country singer for $425,000 alleging he is a "paranoid, angry, deceitful and vindictive man who will turn against those closest to him on a dime."

TV Guide reports Lisa Sanderson is suing Brooks for $425,000 in unpaid bonuses and salary, plus punitive damages.

In her lawsuit, Sanderson claimed she worked for Brooks for almost 20 years and considered him a "treasured family member." However, she's come to realize he "manipulated" her and turned her into the victim of one of his "paranoid vendettas."

Sanderson -- who was hired by Brooks to help him cross over to television and film -- says the singer was "his own worst enemy" often failing to accept roles over unreasonable demands. She claims he turned down roles as a sniper in "Saving Private Ryan" because he didn't want to share the spotlight and and as the villain in "Twister" because he didn't want to be "outshined" by the tornado.

Sanderson also claims Brooks committed tax fraud.

A representative for the singer denied all allegations in a statement.

"Mr. Brooks, of course, denies everything in the lawsuit filed today by Lisa Sanderson. Mr. Brooks and Red Stokes Entertainment Inc. will continue to take the necessary steps toward resolving this matter through the legal system," a spokesperson for Red Strokes Entertainment Inc. wrote.

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Boston Marathon runners from Newtown came uncomfortably close to yet another tragedy.
The runners dedicated each mile to one of the victims of the Newtown shooting. (Newtown Strong Facebook)
Published: April 16, 2013 at 11:42 AM
By GABRIELLE LEVY, UPI.com

For the families of Newtown, Conn., tragedy nearly struck again.

A group of runners from Newtown had dedicated their Boston Marathon run to the victims of the December 14 shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary, including the mother of one of the survivors.

All six Newtown runners had completed the marathon before the bombs went off around 3 p.m. Monday.

Newtown Strong, a scholarship fund for siblings of the 20 young victims of the Sandy Hook shooting posted on their Facebook page:

"Members of the Newtown Strong team which ran in today's marathon are safe. All runners completed the race before the explosions happened. Mile 26 was dedicated to Sandy Hook to signify 26 miles in the marathon and the 26 lives we lost on December 14th, 2012."
The 26th mile -- closest to the finish line -- marker of the Boston Marathon honored the victims of the Newtown massacre. (Twitter/@paynestagram)

The team said it was running each segment of the first 20 miles for the 20 children shot, and the six miles at the end for six the teachers and staff killed. The final .2 miles was officially dedicated by the marathon to the Newtown victims.

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An enterprising Internet user purchased the BostonMarathonConspiracy.com domain to prevent truthers from exploiting it.
Published: April 16, 2013 at 10:59 AM
By GABRIELLE LEVY, UPI.com

After major disasters such as 9/11, the Newtown massacre, and now, the Boston Marathon bombing, the conspiracy theorists tend to come out in force.

One anonymous person, however, is doing his or her part from allowing the theories to gain a foothold on the Internet, purchasing BostonMarathonConspiracy.com to keep it out of the hands of those who might wish to use it.

"I bought this domain to keep some conspiracy theory kook from owning it," the site's only content reads. "Please keep the victims of the event and their families in your thoughts. Thank you."

As it happens, the theorists had already tried.

The first question asked at the press conference in Boston Monday was from Dan Bidondi, an analyst from Alex Jones's InfoWars, asking if the bombing was staged by the government:

"Why were the loudspeakers telling people in the audience to be calm moments before the bombs went off? Is this another false flag staged attack to take our civil liberties and promote homeland security while sticking their hands down our pants on the streets?"

Although Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick quickly dismissed the question, it surely won't be the last.

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McDonald's vows to fix "broken" customer service.
McDonaldÕs employees work the counter at a new McDonald's on the Olympic Green in Beijing on August 7, 2008. McDonald's is the official restaurant of the Olympic Games. (UPI Photo/Terry Schmitt) 
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Published: April 16, 2013 at 10:35 AM

In an effort to bounce back from recent earnings disappointments, McDonalds's has vowed to improve their customer service practices.

The Wall Street Journal reports the fast food giant is pushing to repair their "broken" service amid numerous complaints about rude employees.

In a webcast with franchise owners last month the vice president of business research for McDonald's USA, Steve Levigne, stated that "service is broken" and that one in five customer complaints were congeniality-related.

The restaurant chain's most-often received customer complaint is "rude or unprofessional employees," so it was only natural for franchise owners to step up and change things.

According to one franchise owner, the new leadership at McDonald's "has decided to focus on customer satisfaction as a real driver for us to build the brand and build sales."

"For us to maximize the potential that's out there, we've got to be the leader in guest satisfaction," the franchisee said.

Other complaints about the restaurant include the speed of the service, with many restaurant patrons calling the overall service "chaotic."

According to Levigne complaints about speed "have increased significantly over the past six months."

This has not been a good week for the world's largest chain restaurant. The news of McDonald's dealings with customer service coame a few days before the company came under fire for featuring an ad comparing Big Mac cravings with mental illness.

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Martin Richard, 8, of Dorchester one of three killed in the explosions at Boston Marathon.
Newbury St. was closed off to pedestrians and motorists on Monday, April 15, 2013, after an explosion at the finish line of the Boston Marathon killed at least three people and injuring more than 100. Buerkle was a block away cheering on a friend's mother when the blast happened. UPI/Jacob Belcher 
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Published: April 16, 2013 at 10:34 AM

An 8-year-old boy that was killed in the explosions at the Boston Marathon has now been identified as Martin Richard, according to the Boston Globe.

Richard was attending the race to see his father, Bill, compete in the race, WHDH reported. His mother and 6-year-old sister remain hospitalized.

Richard's mother, Denise, had surgery Monday night after sustaining a serious brain injury from blast schrapnel. His 6-year-old sister lost a leg. Another sibling was not hurt.

"They are beloved by this community," said Ayanna Pressley, city councilor at large in their home town of Dorchester, Mass., according to the Boston Globe. "It’s surreal, it’s tragic, it’s incomprehensible. Everyone here tonight is trying to comfort one another and be prayerful."

On Tuesday, a candle burned on the stoop of the Richards' home. The word "peace" was written in chalk.

Richard was one of three people killed in the Boston Marathon explosions. About 140 people were injured, including Richard's mother and sister.

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After several difficult years, retail chain JC Penney has borrowed millions more quickly than anticipated to shore up its liquidity.
The temporary JCPenney Experience store located in Time Square displays clothing and households goods which can be ordered on-line using the store's kiosks in New York City on March 3, 2006. (UPI Photo/Monika Graff) 
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Published: April 16, 2013 at 10:26 AM
By GABRIELLE LEVY, UPI.com

JC Penney's new CEO opened an $850 million revolving credit to help grow its inventory. The loan is larger -- and comes sooner -- than expected in the wake of a failed overhaul led to his predecessor's departure.

“People are looking for signs of how much of an urgent situation this is, so tapping something to that size puts it in the category of ‘fairly urgent,' Michael Binetti, an analyst for UBS AG, told Bloomberg Businessweek.

JC Penney posted a $10 million loss last year, compared to generating $820 million in 2011.

CEO Myron Ullman drew the credit from the retail chain's revolving $1.85 billion credit line, a week after he took over the top job from Ron Johnson, in the latest attempt to stabilize company finances ahead of the opening of the newly renovated home department next month.

JC Penney said in a statement it was working with advisers to raise capital, and a source told Bloomberg it was focusing on selling its debt.

The retailer's stock has fallen 27 percent this year, even as the Standard & Poor's 500 index has gained 8.8 percent. The stock dropped 50 percent with Johnson at the helm from November 2011, when he took over from Ullman, to April 8.

Ullman “certainly takes a much more conservative approach to our spending and our cash reserves,” Daphne Avila, a spokeswoman for J.C. Penney, said. “He prefers to operate with a much larger cushion.”

“Using that revolver for working capital requirements is what it’s intended to be,” said Chief Financial Officer Kenneth Hannah in a March 13 presentation. “Trying to use it as a substitute for the fact that you’re not connecting with your customer is something that the company has to avoid.”

JC Penney is looking to several financial groups to raise at least $1 billion. The chain has 1,100 stores nationwide.

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Washington state resident Bill Iffrig was knocked down by the explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
Published: April 16, 2013 at 10:02 AM
By KATE STANTON, UPI.com

As the world learned of Monday's shocking blasts at the Boston Marathon, one particularly moving image stood out on social media -- that of an elderly runner knocked down by the blast near the finish line as police officers rushed to help the wounded. Boston Globe photographer John Tlumacki captured the moment, taken seconds after one of the explosions, in a photograph shared widely on Twitter Monday afternoon.

The runner in the photo was Bill Iffrig, a 78-year-old retired mason worker resident of Lake Stevens, Wash., according to The Herald of Everett, Wash.

"It was only ... feet away from me," Iffrig said of the explosion. "It was really loud."

Iffrig only received a scrape on his knee from the fall and said that a marathon official helped him cross the finish line.

"I ended up second in my division," he said. "After you've run 26 miles you're not going to stop there."

You can see Iffrig's fall in the following Vine video circulated widely after the blast:

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