Halcyon days in Silicon Valley, SFO sets a passenger record, Harbaugh incites speculation about Alex Smith’s future, more.
- A full-throttle Silicon Valley expansion rivaling the dot.com boom is underway, says the 2013 Silicon Valley Index, a closely-watched annual study of the region’s economy. Mercury News
- SFO traffic set an all-time record during 2012, with 44.5 million passengers passing through the facility. SF Business Times
- During a hearing Tuesday the state Supreme Court seemed inclined to allow California cities to retain the power to ban medical marijuana dispensaries. Mercury News
- Longtime former Rep. Pete Stark is donating his papers from 40 years in Congress to the Hayward Area Historical Society. Political Blotter
- California and several other states joined in the Justice Department’s lawsuit seeking billions of dollars in damages from Standard & Poor’s for its alleged role in the mortgage crisis. Chronicle
- During a parting news conference as the 49ers cleared out of Santa Clara headquarters for the off-season, Jim Harbaugh downplayed talk that the team may release Alex Smith so that he could play for a team of his choice next season. 49ers Blog
- Police say an Oakland woman who stole a Jeep Cherokee from a repair shop died in a collision as she fled in the vehicle. Chronicle
