New U.S. business applications hit a high-water mark in 2023, but California trailed the national average.

Why it matters: Small businesses are a cornerstone of the U.S. economy, employing tens of millions of Americans.

Driving the news: Americans filed nearly 5.5 million new business applications in 2023, per the U.S. Census Bureau, or about 16.3 for every 1,000 residents.

• California's rate of 14.3 applications for every 1,000 residents trailed the rest of the country by about 13%.
• Still, its rate is the highest since at least 2005, and it has more than doubled since 2009, during the depths of the Great Recession.

Zoom in: Small-business creation in San Francisco boomed with the highest rate of new applications in the state.

• Nearly 21 new business applications per 1,000 residents were filed in San Francisco County in 2023, totaling 17,676.
• That's up 3.3% from 2022, which recorded 17.5 per 1,000 residents.

By the numbers: The second-highest was Sacramento County, with a rate of 20.4, followed by Los Angeles County with 18.1, and Orange County with 15.5.

The intrigue: San Francisco heavily restricts chain stores or big-box retailers with 11 or more locations throughout the U.S. from opening in certain neighborhoods due to Proposition G, a 2007 ballot measure aimed at protecting mom-and-pop shops. 

What we're watching: Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold recently told state lawmakers that fraudulent business filings have been increasing rapidly across the country in the years since the pandemic.

• Often, filings duplicate existing legitimate businesses in an attempt to use them as cover for fraudulent activity.

The bottom line: Filling out the paperwork for a new business is just one step, but it's at least a sign of confidence that small-business success is possible.

• Nearly 85% of consumers say they'll probably shop at a small business this holiday season, a new American Express survey finds, and that's up 11 points over the last decade.

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🌪️ San Francisco crews are still cleaning up fallen trees and debris from a severe storm that hit over the weekend that brought strong winds, rain and the first tornado warning in the city's recorded weather history. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Suchir Balaji, a former Open AI researcher and whistleblower, was found dead of an apparent suicide in his Lower Haight apartment. His death comes just months after he publicly accused the company of violating U.S. copyright law while developing ChatGPT. (SiliconValley.com)

🍴Mathilde French Bistro in SoMa will close at the end of the month after more than 30 years in business. (SF Standard)

Christmas Day and the first night of Hanukkah fall on the same date this year for the first time in nearly 20 years.

How it works: The first night of Hanukkah comes on the 24th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar, which is based on lunar cycles with the occasional "leap month."

• Hanukkah starts in late November through December on the more commonly used Gregorian calendar.

By the numbers: The earliest first nights of Hanukkah on the Gregorian calendar over the last 50 years came in 1994 and 2013, when it fell on Nov. 27.

• The latest came in 1986, on Dec. 26.
• The most common first night over the last 50 years? Dec. 8 (1974, 1993, 2012).

💬 Our thought bubble: This year's "Chrismukkah" is both a simple celestial coincidence and a blessing for people who take part in both holidays, giving us a rare chance to truly blend and share end-of-year celebrations and traditions with our different family groups and loved ones.

What's next: The next Hanukkah-Christmas alignment doesn't come 'round til 2035.