Stories you shouldn’t miss for Feb. 12, 2019

Millions of Americans are discovering that they owe taxes this year, due to the way that President Trump’s tax cuts were implemented by the Internal Revenue Service, Kathleen Pender of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. $

Oakland’s Harborside cannabis dispensary has pulled off a reverse takeover of a Canadian cannabis company that will allow it to assume the Toronto company’s listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange, which is fast becoming a new source of capital for American cannabis enterprises. San Francisco Chronicle. $

The ride-sharing giant Lyft is donating $700,000 to two Bay Area nonprofit groups, Transform and Scraper Bikes (!!!), to help residents of East Oakland gain access to free rides and bike-sharing. San Francisco Chronicle. $



The company that owns the East Bay Times and San Jose Mercury News has been able to keep its profits high by selling off the real estate that the newspapers own. Washington Post. $

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. plans to revamp its board of directors in the wake of its recent bankruptcy filing. Sacramento Bee. $

Hundreds of thousands of Californians who have paid to renew their for driver’s license — some as long ago as last September — haven’t yet received the new ID due to further ineptitude at the beleaguered state vehicle agency. Sacramento Bee. $

Gavin Newsom will have some harsh words for President Donald Trump in his planned State of the State speech later today. Associated Press.

Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray is forsaking baseball for a chance to play quarterback in the NFL, which he described as his first love. The announcement apparently blindsided executives with the Oakland A’s, who had used their first draft pick on Murray and were still hoping that he would report for practice later this month. Meanwhile, the A’s resigned pitcher Brett Anderson, and former A’s catcher Stephen Vogt is going to the San Francisco Giants, his favorite childhood team. San Francisco Chronicle. $