Thursday’s Headlines: The Ghosts of Mayors Past Edition

Are we really doing this? OK, yes, we decided it’s newsworthy that Mayor Adams said the other day that Gracie Mansion is haunted. After all, how could we ignore a story that got international pickup: The Daily News, The Post, the Daily Mail, Patch and Upper East Site covered the exciting claim.

One obviously wonders who the most likely haunting specter is? Abe Beame, who got a raw deal? Jimmy Walker, the party mayor who was forced to resign in scandal? Notorious Confederate sympathizer Fernando Wood?

Whatever the answer, the only question remaining for Mayor Adams is, “Who ya gonna call?”

In other news:

• The Civilian Complaint Review Board has substantiated cases of misconduct against 145 officers stemming from the George Floyd protests. But since NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell has, by law, the final say, don’t expect all, or even many, of them to be disciplined. (NYDN, NY Times, amNY, Gothamist)
• Speaking of cops, we reported on a big lie told by the NYPD at Wednesday’s Council hearing.
• And no one followed our big scoop that Mayor Adams has botched his supposed effort to get full control over the city’s speed-camera system, so we’ll give you that link, too, in case you missed it. (Streetsblog)
• Here’s an ongoing hat tip to the editor of Upper East Side, the neighborhood blog, for continually highlighting the wanton recklessness of neighborhood drivers. In yesterday’s example, the site covered a crash on the FDR Drive and was able to report that one of the cars in the collision had racked up 30 camera-issued tickets in one year — more than enough to earn its owner a mandatory trip to a driver re-education class. If more media outlets reminded our local electeds whenever crashes are caused by reckless drivers that are already well known to the authorities, perhaps we could get some change.
• MTA CEO Janno Lieber hinted that more discounts are on the way with OMNY. (amNY)
• Just what we need, more cars doing fast-grocery deliveries in Manhattan. (NY Post)
• There was another fire caused by a substandard or improperly charged e-bike or moped battery, this time wiping out a small businessman’s entire inventory. (NYDN)
• Did you hear the one about the MTA train yard that doesn’t have enough water to fight fires? It’s no joke. (NY Post)
• New technology could reduce drunk driving by preventing drunks from driving. (NYDN)
• And, finally, who stole two placards from the Brooklyn DA?