Back in town: Kal Penn, the actor-turned-Obama-staffer. This summer, Penn — who goes by his birth name, Kalpen Modi, outside of Hollywood — quit a job in the White House’s office of public engagement in order to shoot the third installment in his stoner-flick franchise, “Harold & Kumar.” As of this week, he’s been rehired there as an associate director, according to ABC News reports. He’ll start work on Monday.