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We have seen better days, San Francisco
We have seen better days, San Francisco

San Francisco Chronicle​

time3 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • San Francisco Chronicle​

We have seen better days, San Francisco

It's the midpoint of a long, cold summer, and San Franciscans are restless. San Francisco seems to have lost its edge. Now is the summer of our discontent, as Shakespeare might say. If Shakespeare were here, he'd be worried, too. The arts are in trouble, community theaters have lost their audiences, museums are closing or cutting staff, the Opera is having problems, and Esa-Pekka Salonen has left the S.F. Symphony. Even the venerable Mountain Play skipped a season on Mount Tamalpais this year for the first time in 80 years. The audience wasn't there. San Francisco's formally fabled nightlife has gone dark. The gloom is widespread: D'Arcy Drollinger, the city's Drag Laureate, plans to close Oasis, a fabled drag club. 'We've been struggling, like a lot of other venues,' he said. 'Our margins are razor-thin.' Ben Bleiman reopened Harrington's, an old school bar in the Financial District, on the theory that the city was on the rebound. 'The fact that we are breaking even is a miracle,' he said. He should know. He's the president of the city's entertainment commission. The main question now is to find someone, or some group, to blame for this situation. The current thinking is that it's the young people — Gen Z, those born starting in 1997 and mostly in their 20s now. They drink tap water and Red Bull instead of craft beer and martinis, according to experts. Or maybe it's Gen X who are to blame for ruining things. Or the millennials, born after 1980, the children of Baby Boomers. They are old enough now to know better. One thing is clear: San Francisco is not what it was. It's those new people. They don't understand. My father used to talk that way, too. He used to say San Francisco was a lot better years ago — it was a golden age, he said. It was only later that I realized it wasn't a golden age for San Francisco so much as it was a golden age for him. It was like what they said about Lefty O'Doul: He was here at a good time, and he had a good time when he was here. You don't know Lefty O'Doul? You must be new in town. I was thinking of those times one day last week when I rode the 1-California bus from an appointment out in the Richmond heading downtown. Through the Western Addition, down California Street, switched to Sacramento Street, over Nob Hill, through Chinatown to Portsmouth Square, through the oldest part of the city. It was remarkably unchanged; the buildings looked the same, and the city had that hard-to-define San Francisco feel, as if something interesting might happen at any time. The city is full of high tech and AI is next, but on Kearny Street near Sacramento, two women were making dumplings by hand in a restaurant window. Enough of the familiar San Francisco. I thought. So I headed south, south of Market, south of the ballpark, to Mission Bay. It's a new city down there, all square glass buildings, not a breath of the old city. I am reminded again of the story Herb Caen told about the San Franciscan who died and went to heaven. 'It's nice,' he said. 'But it's not San Francisco.' I had lunch at Thrive City and watched a lunch hour exercise class, men and women stretching, bending, reaching for the sky outdoors in the plaza. Not the graceful tai chi programs you see at Washington Square in North Beach. Something new. Crowds of people, much younger than the usual city crowd, streamed by. The area around Chase Center is full of new restaurants, new parks and new people. Only a few years ago, this area on the edge of the bay was derelict, like the seacoast of nowhere — the railroad yard was empty, the ships had sailed, and weeds grew wild. A few remnants remain, including a dock where barges carrying freight cars tied up, like an artifact from the industrial past. Next to that is the clubhouse of the Bay View Boat Club, where salty San Franciscans come to drink beer and tell stories about the good times. Lady Gaga played Chase Center that night. A sold-out crowd. She had a show people wanted to see. Maybe all is not lost. So maybe this is the future of San Francisco, a mix of an older city and the new one. All glass and clean living mixed in with the city and a lifestyle we all came to admire. That's the way of cities: Tastes change. The best of the past survives, but something better usually comes along. Old-timers remember the scent of roasting coffee on the Embarcadero, but Hills Bros. could not compete with Starbucks. Maybe Gen Alpha — the only generation to live entirely in the 21st century — will adopt the philosophy of Marine Gen. O.P. Smith, a graduate of UC Berkeley. When asked whether his troops were retreating, he said: 'Retreat, hell! We're just attacking in another direction.'

Rats, sewage leaks, no hot water: S.F. landlord sued by city for ‘unsafe living conditions'
Rats, sewage leaks, no hot water: S.F. landlord sued by city for ‘unsafe living conditions'

San Francisco Chronicle​

time16-07-2025

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Rats, sewage leaks, no hot water: S.F. landlord sued by city for ‘unsafe living conditions'

For nearly a year residents in a Tenderloin apartment building have been forced to live with rat infestations, sewage leaks, and a lack of heat and hot water, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by City Attorney David Chiu. In the lawsuit Chiu alleges that property owner Charles Kartchner created unsafe living conditions and endangered the health and safety of the tenants in a 10-unit building at 646 Ellis St., which he bought in March of 2024 for $1.15 million, 'This property owner took rent from each tenant then turned around and refused to provide the most basic necessities like hot water and heating,' said Chiu. 'Every tenant deserves a safe and clean place to live. It is the landlord's responsibility to ensure their property doesn't deteriorate.' Kartchner could not be reached for comment. The lawsuit comes after nearly a year of escalating notices of violations, none of which were addressed, according to Chiu's office. In total, the Department of Building Inspection has issued five citations to the property owner for violations of the San Francisco Housing Code. In August of last year the property owner was hit with a violation because inspectors found the building lacked hot water. Later that month another notice of violation was issued for sewage leak, a rodent infestation, peeling paint and water damage, and damage to the main entry door,' according to the lawsuit. Other violations include a lack of garbage receptacles and damaged ceiling. In addition, the city attorney said the property owner failed to properly secure the building, resulting in trespassers entering. The lawsuit orders the property to pay a penalty up to $1,000 for each day that the violations alleged in the complaint existed, at least $224,000 through Oct. 18, 2025, plus $1,000 per day thereafter through the entry of judgment. The tenants, all immigrants from Vietnam, worked with the Tenderloin Housing Clinic to document the issues and bring them to the attention of city officials. 'It is essential to enforce tenants' rights to promote a high quality of life for San Franciscan residents,' said Gloria del Mar Lemus, Tenderloin Housing Clinic program manager. 'Tenants are already paying a high price to live in the city. Landlords cannot continue to violate housing codes by allowing their tenants to live without hot water or in properties with pest infestations or collapsing ceilings.' Tenderloin Housing Clinic also filed a separate lawsuit against the property owner in April, after meeting with about 25 Vietnamese residents who complained of long-standing and serious maintenance and habitability failures. Even among the hundreds of complaints DBI received about substandard living conditions, 646 Ellis St. was exceptional, according to Department of Building Inspection Director Patrick O'Riordan. 'This case really stands out for the sheer number of violations that led to unsafe conditions for the tenants,' O'Riordan said.'The City had to act.' After a year living in 'unsanitary and unlivable conditions,' Longtime tenant Victor Ly said he was relieved that the city attorney took 'action against a bad landlord who could care less about the tenants.'

Why the Willie Mays memorabilia auction is a missed opportunity for the Giants
Why the Willie Mays memorabilia auction is a missed opportunity for the Giants

San Francisco Chronicle​

time13-07-2025

  • Sport
  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Why the Willie Mays memorabilia auction is a missed opportunity for the Giants

Willie Mays liked to keep stuff. All his friends agree on that. Mays left us just over a year ago, on June 18, when he sauntered off into that mythical cornfield, but he left a lot of himself behind. Trophies, rings, gloves, jerseys, plaques, photos and more. 'Willie kept everything,' says Rick Swig, who was close pals with Mays for decades. Lumped together, all this Mays stuff, from an exotic sports car to a Presidential Medal of Freedom, would fill a fantastic museum, honoring the man every San Franciscan will tell you is the greatest ballplayer who ever played. Sadly, that won't happen. All of Mays' treasures and trinkets are going on the auction block. Barring a miracle, the auction will be like a mighty puff on a dandelion, scattering MVP trophies and Gold Gloves to the wind. The live auction is Sept. 27, at a warehouse near Oracle Park. The lesser items will be auctioned off online. A few of the goodies (estimated top bid range): • 1954 New York Giants World Series ring, which Mays often wore ($500,000-$1 million) • NL MVP trophies from '54 and '65 ($250,000-$500,000) • Presidential Medal of Freedom ($50,000-$100,000) • Fielder's glove, circa '55 ($75,000-$150,000) • Gold Gloves, and Mays won 12 (!) of these babies ($50,000-$100,000 each) • Hall of Fame ring ($100,000-$300,000) • 1977 Stutz Blackhawk VI sports car ($50,000-$100,000). More on this item in a moment. You're picturing a very cool Willie Mays Museum, right? Acres of eye candy for the baseball soul of old-timers and kids alike. But instead of Willie's treasures winding up in a glorious museum, more likely they will become conversation pieces at rich guys' dinner parties, guests slurping martinis and admiring the bauble in its lonely perch on a teak mantel. The good news is that, unlike when so many sports greats sell off their treasures as a financial necessity, this is no desperation fire sale. Mays lived comfortably and enjoyed his treasures until the end. All the money from the auction goes to the Say Hey Foundation, to improve the lives of needy kids. Oh, Mays loved kids. One of the greatest sports photos of all time is Mays, a young superstar for the New York Giants, dressed in natty sportswear, playing stickball on a Harlem street with a group of kids. It's not clear whether Mays was a hoarder by nature, but it's likely that he kept all this stuff because he knew it would someday be converted into cash to power his foundation. Wouldn't it have been cool, though, if the San Francisco Giants had bought the mountain of Maysabilia and opened a Willie Museum? For years there has been talk, inside the organization and out, about a museum — devoted to Mays, or to the whole team. Nothing has come of all the talk, other than last season's pop-up exhibition across the street from the ballpark — the Willie Mays Say Hey Experience. That pop-up, which drew fair traffic, was mostly video and photos, with limited memorabilia. The Giants tell me they have a lot of team memorabilia, including a fair amount of Mays stuff, in a warehouse near the ballpark. They break out some of it from time to time for ballpark exhibits, but the idea of an actual museum is still on some back burner. The Giants had recent talks with the Mays folks about buying some of Willie's treasures and opening a museum, but from what I hear, the team feels it is a challenge to find a permanent space close to the ballpark that would be affordable. Also, buying prime goodies from Mays' stash would cost a big lump of dough. This plays into the narrative of the Giants' primary ownership being overly budget-conscious. It's purely my speculation, but maybe the Say Hey Foundation didn't want to wait forever; they opted to auction off the treasure trove now because there are kids who could use a helping hand now. If someone had unlimited funds, he or she could buy Mays' old home in Atherton and open it as-is, as a Willie Museum. The neighbors wouldn't mind; their kids got autographed baseballs from Willie every Halloween. Rick Swig spent a lot of time at Mays' home. Swig's grandfather, Ben, was a San Francisco hotel tycoon who helped Mays feel at home when the Giants moved here in '58. In recent decades, Rick has been one of Say Hey's biggest fundraisers, and he considered Mays a dear friend. To Swig, a world-class collector himself, Mays' home was Disneyland. 'Every time I was there, I'd look at the walls of his living room, his den, another den out by his pool, or his bedroom, I'd go, 'Oh, my god; oh, wow; gee whiz.' … He would open up these drawers, 'You ever seen this? ' Not to show off, and it would be an oh-my-god.' I was in Mays' home a couple of times, got only as far as the long entry hallway, which was like the Louvre. Every bit of wall space in the home, Swig says, was covered with photos and plaques and awards. Bags of swag filled Mays' four-car garage, and an equally large storage room he built behind the garage. Not in the Atherton garage, but possibly stored at Mays' home in Phoenix, is that '77 Stutz. Mays was a car guy; mostly he drove Caddies, but the hot celebrity ride in the '70s was the Stutz. It was a Pontiac Grand Prix muscle car engine and chassis, topped with a handcrafted Italian body and luxe interior. About 600 were made. Elvis Presley owned the first Stutz, beating out Frank Sinatra for the honor. Paul McCartney drove one along Penny Lane. It's just a car, but it is so Willie — powerful and sleek, symbolic of the man who, quietly, lived like the superstar he was. Elvis' Stutz sold for $297,000. But even the small stuff has great historical and sentimental value. 'I hope whoever ends up with this material is generous enough to share it with the public, in some sort of museum fashion,' says Swig. That seems unlikely. A million items could go to a million different bidders. The Giants might get in on the bidding. I alerted Reggie Jackson, an avid car collector who says he might kick the tires on the Stutz. There's a sadness to this auction, but at least the event will have Mays' blessing. 'Willie's still with us, by the way,' Swig says. 'I'm talking about him in the present tense. He's using this material to fulfill his pledge to support children.' So if you are at the auction and you are hesitating to raise your paddle, and feel a nudge at your elbow, don't be surprised.

Jimmy Butler's Coffee Pop-Up Is Sceney as Hell
Jimmy Butler's Coffee Pop-Up Is Sceney as Hell

Eater

time10-07-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Eater

Jimmy Butler's Coffee Pop-Up Is Sceney as Hell

is the associate editor for the Northern California and Pacific Northwest region writing about restaurant and bar trends, coffee and cafes, and pop-ups. Golden State Warriors' Jimmy Butler III has, at long last, taken his coffee brand BIGFACE to his adopted home of San Francisco. The temporary residency runs from Thursday, July 10, through Sunday, July 27, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. On opening day, the sun was shining, and expectations could not have been higher. How's the coffee? Would you get one of the T-shirts? Will Butler be there, working the bar like a common barista? From the jump: Jimmy Butler III was not on-site at BIGFACE's opening, sorry to say. Whether or not he pulls any shots by the end of this installation is anyone's guess; with loads of these hype pop-ups, the details are intentionally scarce. This scene report should alleviate a bit of the mystery. Here's what to know before pulling up to BIGFACE on 22nd Street in the Mission. Paolo Bicchieri The Wait Eater SF arrived on the scene before opening at 9 a.m. A line crawled around the corner, onto San Jose Avenue. Clocking in at about 8:50 a.m. (sans coffee!), the wait took about 30 minutes. The line was fast moving, though, all things considered; once inside the BIGFACE cafe, there didn't seem to be any time limit on how long one could mill about, order coffee, and buy merch. A worker for the pop-up brought three flavors of iced BIGFACE coffee in a grocery basket to attendees. For free! But this was opening day — a smart guest should anticipate a much shorter wait on weekdays going forward, and big, explosive lines on upcoming sunny Saturdays and Sundays. Paolo Bicchieri The Vibe Imagine all the minimalism and preciousness of a third-wave specialty cafe. Now, picture the exact opposite. From the line through to the La Marzoco, vibes at BIGFACE skew much more toward hype culture and a meet and greet at ComicCon. Fans showed up in prior BIGFACE drop gear, most likely from Miami or San Diego. The team from San Francisco's own Fellow Coffee came as a group; a born-and-raised San Franciscan who considers himself a cigar and coffee connoisseur said he's been looking for good coffee in the Mission since Philz closed. There were platoons of influencers making content. Once inside, the ambiance is sort of Nintendo store-ish. Phones are out left and right, blending in amongst the pop-up's chrome and red color scheme. Interestingly, much respect is paid to former tenant Lucca Ravioli. Shirts (which run $75) are scribed in Italian, with small riffs on the Golden Gate Bridge on the chest. The staff are in swag, and attendees are keyed up and chipper. There's a bar against the window and four or so tables. Still, the vibe doesn't seem to be to hang out for long — more of a grab and go energy, though that could slow down past opening day. Paolo Bicchieri The Menu BIGFACE is not the cost-conscious consumer's cafe. It's $100 for a coffee flight, like at other BIGFACEs of yore. It's $10 for a pour-over, though the pour-over 'wasn't working' an hour into the first day of service. (An $8 cold brew should do the trick.) It's $40 for a box of BIGFACE's Rwanda washed filter coffee, with 'ciao' splayed across the front of the futuristic parcel-looking box. That said, Black Jet Bakery was tapped to provide croissants and other pastries. Nodding to Lucca Ravioli again, there are, inexplicably, boxes of spaghetti, Graza bottles of olive oil branded with BIGFACE smiles, jars of marinara sauce, you get the idea. Though the pour-over cannot be reviewed, the team seemed quick-working and friendly, and the cold brew had a hint of sweetness in a drink infamously made dark and fudgy. A win! A billboard promoting the BIGFACE installation unfurled in real time throughout the morning. Paolo Bicchieri The Verdict BIGFACE is rad! BIGFACE is cool. BIGFACE is the future of coffee — celebrity partnerships taken to a niche, logical extreme. That is to say that, rather than an Emma Chamberlain-ish spin where the coffee can feel like an arm of a larger business program, Butler's coffee is well-roasted, well-made, and, well, expensive. For many new Mission dwellers, this price point won't be an issue. Come by for a chance to be in a random influencer's video and to drink excellent coffee. BIGFACE (1100 Valencia Street) runs Thursday, July 10, through Sunday, July 27, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eater SF All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Newsom tests his Southern charm
Newsom tests his Southern charm

Politico

time09-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Politico

Newsom tests his Southern charm

Presented by SOUTHERN SWING — If Gavin Newsom is going to be a top contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, he must figure out how to appeal to voters in the Deep South and Middle America. It's a tough act for Newsom, a San Franciscan by birth whom opponents often frame as the embodiment of West Coast liberal elitism, with his slicked-back hair and taste for fine wines. But the Democratic governor offered an early preview Tuesday of how he might attempt to appeal to voters in the crucial early primary in South Carolina as he opened a two-day swing through the state. As POLITICO's Tyler Katzenberger reported from the trail, Newsom spent the first day of his tour appearing with Democratic Party leaders and packing meeting rooms. Newsom grinned sheepishly when Rep. Jim Clyburn, the state's Democratic kingmaker, introduced him as one of 'these candidates that are running for president.' 'It's no secret,' Clyburn told reporters after praising Newsom to roughly 200 people piled into a community center in the small, rural city of Camden. 'I feel good about his chances.' Newsom, who quoted from Corinthians and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., seemed to be playing to the crowd. He cast himself as a happy warrior ready to trade jabs with the Trump administration, bragging that California is the 'most un-Trump state in America.' 'American citizens feel like they're being hunted, racially profiled,' Newsom told the crowd at a coffee shop in Marion County, a predominantly Black, rural county. But the governor likely faces a tough road. Recent polls show former Vice President Kamala Harris (whom Clyburn called 'my girl' back in 2024) with a wide lead among Black voters, who make up a substantial share of the Democratic electorate in South Carolina. Other potential 2028 contenders — including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear — are also making forays into the state. Harris has not decided whether to run for president again and is also considering a 2026 bid for California governor. Some voters seemed skeptical that Newsom could break through a caricature of himself. 'Around here, they think he's a liberal,' said John Drew, 48, a real-estate professional who briefly lived in San Francisco, when Newsom was mayor in the late 2000s. But Clyburn's warm welcome — though not an endorsement — could prove a start. After all, it was Clyburn's endorsement of Joe Biden that resurrected his presidential campaign in 2020. Don't miss Tyler's story for more on Newsom's road trip. GOOD MORNING. Happy Wednesday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. Like what you're reading? Sign up to get California Playbook in your inbox, and forward it to a friend. You can also text us at ‪916-562-0685‬‪ — save it as 'CA Playbook' in your contacts. Or drop us a line at dgardiner@ and bjones@ or on X — @DustinGardiner and @jonesblakej. WHERE'S GAVIN? On the road in South Carolina, attending events with voters. STATE CAPITOL FIRST IN POLITICO: CH-CH-CHANGES — Liz Snow, the chief of staff to Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas for the last two years, will leave his office in a few weeks, as Dustin scooped for subscribers last night. She will be replaced by Steve O'Mara, political director for Rivas and the Assembly Democratic Caucus. O'Mara was previously Rivas' chief of staff, when the speaker was a rank-and-file lawmaker. Two other staffing changes in Rivas' office: Spencer Jones will serve as deputy chief of staff, and Rita Durgin will be special assistant to the speaker. 'The role of chief is a challenging one that requires enormous diplomacy, technical know-how, and long hours, and I've been so lucky to have Liz's counsel,' Rivas said in a statement shared exclusively with POLITICO. As chief, Snow was responsible for carrying out Rivas' vision for everything on the state side — from human resources issues to policy decisions to budget strategy. Rivas said she played a crucial role in advancing legislation to combat property crime and speed up housing construction in the state. Snow will stay on through the end of July, to oversee the transition and prepare for the end of the legislative session, the statement said. LOS ANGELES BASS BITES BACK — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is not done fighting back against the Trump administration after a monthlong series of raids. Bass and City Attorney Hydee Feldstein-Soto announced Tuesday that the city and LA County would be joining a federal class action lawsuit that alleges the federal government is using illegal tactics while conducting immigration raids. 'I don't want to say it's my pleasure to be here with you, because it's not,' Bass said at a Tuesday news conference. The lawsuit was filed last week by immigration and civil rights organizations, who have asked the court to prevent the federal government from using 'unlawful tactics to achieve its intended arrest numbers' in Los Angeles, including racial profiling and excessive use of force. — Nicole Norman CAMPAIGN YEAR(S) MORE THE MERRIER? — A state Senate contest in central Los Angeles County is shaping up to be a crowded affair. Sarah Rascón, an environmental activist, is jumping into the race to succeed Sen. María Elena Durazo in next year's election for the 26th District seat (which includes Koreatown, Los Feliz, Silver Lake and Vernon). The contest has drawn a host of contenders since Durazo said she would not seek reelection next year and instead run for Los Angeles County supervisor. Rascón, a former adviser in Bass' office, joins a field that includes Equality California Institute President Juan Camacho, Community College District Trustee Sara Hernandez, drag performer Maebe Pudlo and former Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo. CASH DASH FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: DEFENSE DOLLARS — Republican Rep. Ken Calvert raised more than $1.3 million last quarter and has $2.5 million in cash on hand as he seeks to defend his battleground Inland Empire seat, his campaign told Playbook. Calvert won his race last fall by less than 3.5 points and is one of Democrats' top three House targets in California this cycle. His Democratic challenger, Brandon Riker, raised just over $900,000 last quarter, half of it from a personal donation, his campaign previously told Playbook. CLIMATE AND ENERGY SOLAR MONEY — A fight over a farmland-to-solar bill is exposing the vacuum left by environmental streamlining measures as California barrels into its abundance era. AB 1156, from Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, would ease solar development on agricultural land — but lawmakers and advocates are clashing over whether developers should be required to offer cash community benefits in return, and how much. Read more about the behind-the-scenes battle and what it could portend for a post-CEQA era in last night's California Climate. TOP TALKERS PROMISES … CHANGED — San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie's top policy chief on homelessness, Kunal Modi, defended Lurie's recent decision to scrap his signature campaign promise to build 1,500 shelter beds in six months, The San Francisco Standard reports. Modi argued 'the best way to deliver on that mandate is by making our system more effective, not building toward a specific number of beds.' PLAIN OFFENSIVE — Venture capitalist and prominent Silicon Valley conservative Shaun Maguire has come under fire for a post on X saying that the New York Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani 'comes from a culture that lies about everything' and wants to advance his 'Islamist agenda,' CNBC reports. More than 900 people have signed an open letter asking Sequoia Capital, where Maguire is partner, to denounce the businessman's comments, apologize to Mamdani and open an investigation into Maguire's conduct over the past two years. Maguire referenced the letter in a later post, saying, 'You can try everything you want to silence me, but it will just embolden me.' AROUND THE STATE — Even if the Trump administration's multibillion-dollar funding freeze for schools does not become permanent, it could still affect professional development, migrant education, before- and after-school care and programs for English language learners. (Voice of San Diego) — Thousands of Sacramento County workers represented by United Public Employees went on a one-day strike, urging the Board of Supervisors to raise wages. (The Sacramento Bee) — The National Women's Soccer League cleared a Bay FC coach following a four-month investigation into a bullying accusation. (The Mercury News) Compiled by Juliann Ventura PLAYBOOKERS PEOPLE MOVES — Jose Barrera has been elected as chair of the California LULAC Foundation Board, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of the California LULAC State Council. He also serves as a political organizer for SEIU-UHW. — International law firm Withers announced the appointment of 16 new partners, including Jessica Kaplan in San Francisco; Leslie Evans in San Diego; Kevin Jackson, Susanna Kim, Erika Scheideman and Craig Weinstein in Los Angeles. — James Huie has joined law firm Paul Hastings LLP in its emerging companies and venture capital practice in San Francisco. He joins from Wilson Sonsini. BIRTHDAYS — pitcher Kenny Rosenberg … strategist Drew Hammill … director Chris Cooper … actor Tom Hanks … rockstar Courtney Love … South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham WANT A SHOUT-OUT FEATURED? — Send us a birthday, career move or another special occasion to include in POLITICO's California Playbook. You can now submit a shout-out using this Google form.

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