City departments bill each other, leaving millions unspent

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Good afternoon! Here’s the latest:

Money works in strange ways. City departments are overcharging one another for services and leaving tens of millions of dollars unspent, according to a new report. Xueer Lu explains what inflated budgets and lack of fiscal transparency mean for the city.

Teresa Moore has an in-depth review of Isaac Julien‘s major retrospective at the de Young. Read more about Julian’s “alternative visual grammar” and the sheer beauty of his films, photographs, and installations.

See how things are going on Day 50 of the 16th St. plaza crackdown.

OK, mark your calendars now! Story Fest, a chance for journalists to talk about their favorite local stories on stage for a night, put on by Back Pocket Media, is coming to San Francisco! And we’re taking part.

Story Fest brings some of our city’s best stories to one stage —with suspense, depth, humor, and unforgettable characters, all in a theater in front of a live audience. Mission Local will be there, with a reporter detailing the story of El Farolito’s “burrito soccer team” — an amateur squad of working stiffs that is consistently beating pro players. We’ll be joined by journalists from KQED, the San Francisco Chronicle, Mother Jones/Reveal, KALW, the San Francisco Standard, Bay City News, and Berkeleyside.

The festival takes place on July 19 at the Herbst Theatre. Grab your exclusive early bird tickets here!

More soon,

Sara