NEW YORK (AP) — New York City officials are turning up the heat on Elmo, Cookie Monster and Statue of Liberty impersonators — Times Square costumed characters who often demand money for posing in photos with tourists. The city wants to rein in a summertime spike in badly behaving characters such as the Spider-Man accused of punching a police officer recently. Legal experts say proposals for a city law to possibly require licenses and background checks could violate free-speech rights. "If you can prove that they are there to seek money, not simply conveying a message ...