DRIVING THE DAY: Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is expected to take the stand in federal court today. He is scheduled to testify in the trial of David DePape, who broke into the couple’s San Francisco mansion last year and stuck him in the head with a hammer. THE BUZZ: TEMPORARY SHINE — The last time San Francisco hosted an event of such global magnitude, Harry S. Truman was president, the Golden Gate bridge was the tallest landmark in town and military men in uniform filled the streets. Back then, San Francisco was undoubtedly a world center when it was chosen as the sight for the 1945 United Nations charter signing. Today, its status is more of an open question. San Francisco and California officials are working to reclaim some of the city's luster this week. They’ve cleaned streets, cleared homeless camps from sidewalks and increased police patrols downtown as some 30,000 visitors arrive for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation — or APEC — summit. “It is a really important moment for San Francisco to be able to show the country, and the world, that we are still a world-class city,” said Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who pushed for APEC to come. “There’s great confidence here that we will bounce back.” Kounalakis, a longtime San Franciscan and former U.S. ambassador to Hungary, lobbied Secretary of State Antony Blinken last year to select California to host APEC’s annual summit, a convergence of CEOs and government leaders from 21 Pacific Rim countries. Kounalakis led fundraising efforts — the city raised more than $20 million from private donors, which will help pay for increased law enforcement and other event costs. The city has been hammered in recent years by negative headlines about urban decay and rampant theft following an exodus of tech professionals working remotely during the pandemic. For locals, the international media spotlight associated with APEC has brought a mixed bag of emotions. Many are frustrated by what they see as exaggerated reports of the city’s “doom loop” when it remains a global tech and economic engine. At the same time, many are looking at freshly washed sidewalks in the city’s core and asking a natural question: Why can’t San Francisco always be like this? That frustration was on the minds of Marissa Camacho and Alexander Sanchez, community college students who went downtown Saturday night to grab dinner and check out the scene. The couple said the area around the Moscone Convention Center has never seemed so quiet and, well, orderly. “They’re finding ways to sweep it under the rug,” Sanchez said. “By next month, it’s going to go back to normal.” Inside the convention hall, stagehand Robert Benson spent the weekend setting up video displays and giant posters for the summit. Until last year, Benson was homeless and lived in his van. He said he was happy to see the city put forward a fresh face for APEC and regain some of its pre-pandemic energy. Benson cautioned, though, that he hopes Mayor London Breed and other city officials will remember to treat San Francisco’s most vulnerable with empathy by continuing to invest in housing after the APEC glitter fades. “It’s a hard one. I don’t think the answer is a billy club,” Benson said of the homelessness problem. GOOD MORNING. Happy Monday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. PLAYBOOK TIP LINE — Do you think San Francisco is well-prepared to host the APEC summit? Give us a ring or drop us a line. Now you can text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts now. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on Twitter —@DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. | 
