A.M. Splash: Court Blocks SF Cell Phone Warning; SF, South Bay Are Strongest U.S. Job Markets

A federal appeals court blocked San Francisco on Monday from requiring cell phone dealers to tell customers the products may expose them to dangerous levels of radiation, saying the city can't force retailers to pass along messages they dispute. The ordinance, the first of its kind in the nation, had been scheduled to take effect last October, but has remained on hold during an industry challenge.

The nation's strongest employment market is the San Francisco-San Mateo-Marin region, which powered to a 4.4 percent increase in total payroll jobs during the 12 months that ended in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. The South Bay was the second-strongest job market in the United States. Santa Clara County posted a 3.5 percent increase in total jobs over the one-year period.

With bagpipes and somber bells sounding a sharp counterpoint to the commemorative moments of silence, the nation on Tuesday marked the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attack that brought down the World Trade Center in Manhattan and shattered the country’s political psyche.At ceremonies in New York, at the Pentagon and in Washington, relatives and friends mourned the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack by Islamic terrorists. The scenes were as moving as those from previous ceremonies, though they also seemed more personal than in the past, especially compared to last year’s 10th anniversary. Unlike past events, authorities did not raise any special security alerts this year.

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, who attorneys working to impose changes on the city's Police Department say is avoiding testifying about the pace of those reforms, will be in serious trouble if she skips another scheduled deposition, a federal magistrate says. Federal Magistrate Nathanael Cousins warned the mayor to show up at a deposition later this month or face possible punitive actions.

Oakland, at least for now, won't be allowed to get rid of its court-appointed police monitor despite accusations that he made sexual advances against City Administrator Deanna Santana. In a two-sentence order issued late Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Thelton Henderson denied the city's request "to bar all communications" with the monitor, Robert Warshaw. Henderson's explanation for his ruling was filed under seal. It's unknown if it includes any opportunities for the city to continue pursuing to sever ties with Warshaw.

Suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi wants his former colleagues to be protected from an election-season political bombshell as the Board of Supervisors prepares to decide the future of the embattled official next month. Mirkarimi pleaded guilty to misdemeanor false imprisonment related to his wife, Eliana Lopez, in March, after which he was suspended without pay by Mayor Ed Lee on charges of official misconduct.

In an effort to crackdown on San Jose businesses -- particularly medical marijuana shops -- that skirt city tax laws, three council members are proposing an ordinance that would shut them down for not paying local taxes. San Jose City Council members Sam Liccardo, Rose Herrera and Pierluigi Oliverio cited "millions" in marijuana business taxes not being paid in the past year alone by pot clubs as required under Measure U. That law, passed by 78 percent of voters in the fall of 2010, allows the city to tax marijuana collectives up to 10 percent of their total sales, though the council later adjusted that to a maximum of 7 percent.

The next-generation iPhone 5, which Apple (AAPL) plans to release this week, could not only boost the tech giant's bottom line - but could give a significant boost to the overall U.S. economy. Sales of the new iPhone could add between a quarter and a half percentage point to fourth quarter annualized growth in the U.S., according to J.P. Morgan's chief economist, Michael Feroli, in a note to clients on Monday. Such an impact would be significant.

Solar installations spiked in the second quarter of this year as large solar power plants came online, according to a report released Monday by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association. The amount of photovoltaic solar panels installed across the country reached 742 megawatts in the second quarter, up from 512 megawatts in the first quarter. More solar was installed in the second quarter than in all of 2009. Analysts with GTM Research expect that by year-end, 3,200 megawatts will be installed nationwide.

California's economy is the world's ninth-largest... decade ago, California was ranked fifth. It was No. 8 as recently as 2009. But in recent years it's been overtaken by the likes of China and Brazil.