Specialty Ledes

New York Times
"TERRY GARDNER, a legal secretary in California, returned home from work recently to find two police officers waiting. They said her brother had told them he thought she might be having a breakdown because she had shaved her head. "

This lede is interesting because it draws you in without being too far off from the point of the story- marketing on the body. I'm sure this lede can be improved a bit in that it it could me more closely tied to the story (i.e. a spiel about "Do I look like I have "" tattooed on my forehead?"). This lede is much more interesting than a summary. I think the narrative is the best fit to draw in the reader. It worked on me- I read the whole thing.

The New York Times
"They borrow leftover prescription drugs from friends, attempt to self-diagnose ailments online, stretch their diabetes and asthma medicines for as long as possible and set their own broken bones. When emergencies strike, they rarely can afford the bills that follow."

I think this is a good example of a staccato lede. It provides a very good inclination of what to expect in the story, and is appalling enough to want to continue reading. I think this is the best lede for this story. It is far more effective than a summary lede. I also think that this is the best specialty lede option because it demonstrates a repetitive problem worth learning more about.