NEW THIS MORNING

More than 150 elementary and middle schools posted mediocre efforts on their annual progress reports for the third straight year, which triggers the city to scrutinize them, the New York Times writes: http://nyti.ms/OAF14s * Former City Comptroller Bill Thompson lost his appeal to void $594,375 in fines for illegally attaching campaign posters to city property during his unsuccessful bid for mayor in 2009, the Wall Street Journal reports: http://on.wsj.com/PqqVwZ * A federal judge ruled that the New York Police Department illegally arrested scores of demonstrators during the 2004 Republican National Convention but upheld how the city handled aspects of the arrests, the Times reports: http://nyti.ms/PJI0DH  New York firefighters criticized a judge's plan to award retroactive seniority to applicants who weren't hired due to discrimination and argued that "experience counts" at a federal court hearing yesterday, the Post reports: http://bit.ly/UD9Tyb