Pal: Desperation Led Mom to Kill Autistic Son

Daily Beast ranks America's pot-loving locales

(NEWSER) - In honor of today's date, 4/20—and the pot-steeped lore of those numbers—the Daily Beast has ranked the nation's 40 "highest cities," where weed culture reigns supreme. To read the full list and see how it was compiled, click here . The top 10:

1. Eureka, California
2. Tallahassee, Florida
3. Manhattan
4. Boston
5. San Francisco

Socialite's child apparently OD's in failed murder-suicide

(NEWSER) - An 8-year-old boy was found dead today in a luxury hotel in Manhattan after his socialite mother apparently botched a murder-suicide attempt, police say. Gigi Jordan, 49, was taken to Bellevue Hospital after being found "babbling incoherently" in her $600-a-night room at the Peninsula New York on Fifth Avenue. "She lawyers up right away," a source tells the Daily News . "She won't answer any questions." More»

... And promotes shrinks' books, in 180-second encounters

(NEWSER) - Freud must be shuddering in his grave, but that doesn't bother Susan Shapiro, the author of Speed Shrinking and the cheerful organizer of speed-dating-style therapy sessions for New Yorkers. On a recent evening, 200 talk-therapy-seekers stood in line at a lecture hall for their turn to spill their problems and get some quickie advice from each of eight therapists, at just 3 minutes a pop. "It's amazing what you can achieve in a short space of time," said one. It "makes something which can be intimidating fun," said Shapiro. More»

Coalition to launch godless monthlong campaign

(NEWSER) - Eight atheist organizations are the creators of a unique month-long ad campaign beginning next week in Manhattan subways that will challenge the belief in God. "A million New Yorkers are good without God. Are you?" the ads will ask on posters featuring blue sky and clouds. Because the city's subways host 5 million riders a day, the Big Apple Coalition of Reason decided the underground ads would return the "best bang" for the $25,000 campaign, said spokesman Michael De Dora Jr. More»

She 'left voluntarily': lawyer

(NEWSER) - US Marshals seized Ruth Madoff’s $7 million Manhattan penthouse today after she made a deal to give it up last week, the New York Post reports. Madoff “left voluntarily and in an orderly manner to which all sides agreed,” said her lawyer. “We’re not here to load up (the apartment’s contents) today,” said one marshal. “We are here to officially seize the property.” More»