SEPTEMBER
Abuse behind bars
Michael Tyree was diagnosed with a mental illness, and like so many others he was homeless, battled drug addiction and cycled in and out of the clink for petty theft, possession and other minor charges. On Aug. 27, he was found dead in his cell and three jail guards were charged with his murder. The tragedy shone a light on the festering systemic abuses in local jails, and the thuggish subculture that dehumanizes the people jailers have a responsibility to protect.
Newspaper group Anonymized?
Embarcadero Media Group had its weekly newspaper websites temporarily shut down after a grammatically challenged message claimed to be an attack perpetrated by the hacker collective Anonymous.
Slummin’ it
San Jose rents have ticked up more than 50 percent since 2010, forcing thousands of families to double up, move back in with parents or endure adulthood while cohabitating with roommates. At least we’re all living the same shitty sitcom.
Late night shakeup
Two late-night icons stepped down from their chairs this year. David Letterman left his 22-year post at The Late Show, while Jon Stewart ended a 16-year run at The Daily Show. They were replaced by a South Carolinian Catholic and a South African immigrant, respectively.
Pizza rat
New Yorkers love pizza, and non-New Yorkers love ragging on New York. So when footage emerged of a rather large subway rat absconding with an entire slice of greasy pie, we all ate it up-the video, that is. Not the pizza. That’d be gross.
#EdwardSnowdenScissorhands
San Jose resident and “Weird Twitter” pioneer Jon Hendren, featured on the cover of Metro in May, took his online persona of @fart and terrorized a HLN news network anchor. Asked about Edward Snowden’s decision to get on Twitter, @fart used the segment to indirectly defend the merits of Tim Burton’s fictional character, Edward Scissorhands. Herndon #FTW.
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