Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, still under fire for a purported video that shows him smoking crack cocaine, admitted that he’s smoked marijuana, the Toronto Star reports.

Said Ford: “Oh yeah. I’ve smoked a lot of it.”

The University of Alabama’s Chi Omega chapter was offered incentives to members in exchange for voting in the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education election, the Birmingham News reports.

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner announced his resignation “following a tumultuous six weeks in which lurid allegations of repeated sexual misconduct against women crippled his ability to lead and turned him into a subject of national ridicule,” the San Diego Union Tribune reports.

“In a dramatic appearance before the council, Filner apologized to his few remaining supporters and the women he offended while at the same remaining defiant that he did nothing wrong.”

Said Filner: “In a lynch-mob mentality, rumors become allegations, allegations become facts, facts become evidence of sexual harassment, which have led to demands for my resignation and recall. Not one allegation … has even been independently verified or proven in court. I have never sexually harassed anyone.”

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner (D) has agreed to resign as part of a deal reached this week with city officials, NBC San Diego reports.

“Filner, spotted leaving City Hall with packing boxes Wednesday night, will formally vacate the office following a closed session of City Council Friday, according to several sources.”

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner (D) reached a proposed settlement agreement with his legal adversaries that likely sets the stage for the end of his brief, scandal-plagued tenure as mayor, the San Diego Union Tribune reports.

“The tentative agreement centers around a lawsuit filed against the mayor and the city by a former Filner aide who accused him of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual advances. Three days of mediation… ended late Wednesday when a group of lawyers and city leaders… emerged from behind closed doors to announce a deal had been reached.”

The City Council will consider the proposal at 1 p.m. Friday in closed session.

New York City councilwoman Inez Dickens, who is openly jockeying to be the next speaker of the City Council, “recently revamped her re-election website, embedding a Twitter account called @SpeakerDickens. The only problem is that the account is a parody feed that skewers Ms. Dickens,” Politicker reports.

A new SurveyUSA poll finds that 81% of San Diego voters think Mayor Bob Filner (D) should resign and 72% say they would sign a recall petition if one is put before them.

San Diego Union Tribune: “Barring any last-minute
developments, Sunday is the day the clipboards get unleashed. People
hoping to recall San Diego Mayor Bob Filner can begin circulating their
petitions.”

A new New York Times poll finds that 52% of New Yorkers describe Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s 12 years in office as “fair or poor,” while 46% call it “excellent or good.”

“When comparing him with past mayors, 38% rank Mr. Bloomberg as average — a bracing evaluation for a man who thinks of himself as anything but. Still, 21% say he is above average and 15% say he is one of the best.”

“Since he become mayor, 40% say the quality of life in the city has stayed the same, 35% think it has become better, and 23% find it has gotten worse.”

Toronto police are investigating attempts by associates of Mayor Rob Ford to retrieve the crack cocaine video, the Toronto Star reports.

Ford’s loyalists “were on a mission to obtain the video, which Ford was publicly saying did not exist. Two Star reporters who viewed the video have described an obviously impaired Mayor Ford smoking what appears to be crack cocaine and making homophobic and racist remarks in response to goading questions from a man not seen in the video.”

As federal, state and local officials investigate San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, KGTV has learned that “members of the mayor’s security detail have provided information to authorities, regarding the mayor taking different women to a popular downtown San Diego hotel.”

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner (D) “faces a deadline Monday to submit a statement to organizers of a recall drive saying why he should not be voted out of office in the face of claims that he sexually harassed women and made numerous unwanted advances,” the San Diego Union Tribune reports.

“If he does respond by midnight, organizers are required to publish his statement, limiting it to 300 words or less.”

Detroit News: “In late February, cash-strapped Detroit received a $1 million check from the local school system that wasn’t deposited. The routine payment wound up in a city hall desk drawer, where it was found a month later.”

“Beleaguered” San Diego Mayor Bob Filner (D) “is scheduled to begin two weeks of intensive therapy Monday at an undisclosed clinic to address his inappropriate sexual behavior toward women and while he’s gone the city will continue to pick up trash, the libraries will open on time and the scandal enveloping San Diego won’t be going away,” the San Diego Union Tribune reports.

“Filner won’t be ceding any authority during his self-imposed therapy sessions and plans to be briefed each morning and night on civic affairs and give direction to city staff.”

Phoenix City Council candidate Austin Head is having trouble keeping campaign sings from being stolen, “leading the first-time candidate to believe he is either very popular or very disliked,” the Arizona Republic reports.

The signs use the phrase ‘I Heart Head.’ (The heart is actually a sparkly heart shape.)

Said Head: “Some people find it humorous and entertaining. I’ve had a lot of e-mails from people who want T-shirts and stickers that say ‘I Heart Head.'”

He added: “It has absolutely helped my campaign. My opponents have instant name credibility being the son of the former mayor and the daughter of a congressman. The other opponents have all been political types who’ve run in races before. This is my first campaign, and I certainly need this name recognition.”

The path to recalling beleaguered San Diego Mayor Bob Filner (D) “became much clearer Thursday as more business leaders called on him to forego that process and resign amid a sexual harassment scandal that has made national headlines,” the San Diego Union Tribune reports.

“One of the obstacles in the way of the nascent recall movements had been the murkiness of the city law that dictates the rules for how to oust an elected official. The City Attorney’s Office issued an opinion that the law allows simultaneous attempts to recall an official until one of them qualifies for the ballot.”

Sally Quinn: “Up until Weiner’s cringeworthy news conference Tuesday, I had felt sorry for his wife, Huma Abedin, even though I couldn’t understand how she was able to condone his online antics in the first place. I have nothing against Abedin. I like her: She is a lovely, gracious, intelligent woman. I ache for her need to come to the rescue of this man who has betrayed her so often and will likely do it again. I ache for all women who find themselves in this position. And yet, there she stood in front of the cameras, this modern American career woman, by her man, saying she had forgiven him, loved him and believed in him. Just what exactly does she believe in? The only thing she can believe in for sure is that he will continue his infidelity.”

“Though her friends say she is strong and resolute and defiant, sadly she makes all women look like weak and helpless victims. She was not standing there in a position of strength. It was such a setback for women everywhere.”

The drive to recall San Diego Mayor Bob Filner (D) began in earnest “as the beleaguered politician made a formal request for taxpayers to pick up the tab for his legal fees stemming from a sexual harassment lawsuit,” the San Diego Union Tribune reports.

“While the recall movement was
expected to take off this week, it surprised many that Filner would ask
taxpayers to foot the bill for his legal troubles.”

A San Diego political consultant said San Diego Mayor Bob Filner (D) “patted her rear end and made crude comments about her at a fundraiser eight years ago while she was working for his congressional campaign,” the San Diego Union Tribune reports.