Wren Farrell
Newscasts EditorWren Farrell (he/him) is a writer, producer and journalist living in San Francisco. Originally from San Diego, he moved to the Bay Area in 2018, where he got his start in radio at KPFA. He graduated from KALW’s Audio Academy in 2021 and then went on to work for a number of podcasts as an associate producer. In 2023 he joined the inaugural class of UC Berkeley’s California Local News Fellowship, which brought him back to KALW as a full-time emergency and disaster preparedness reporter. In his free time he likes biking, cooking and hanging out.
All Stories
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CrosscurrentsLast week the California Academy of Science’s resident corpse flower bloomed. It’s an event that usually makes the news. But despite all the attention they attract, wild corpse flowers are endangered, which is why the Academy is joining a national effort to preserve their DNA. -
Last night, San Francisco voters said yes to Proposition F, requiring drug screenings and treatment for some residents who receive cash assistance. -
Over the weekend, the San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent laid out his plan to close an unknown number of schools by 2025. -
On Tuesday afternoon, Mirage, the California Academy of Science’s resident corpse flower, began to bloom for the first time in her life.
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A Stanford University study has found that the tool California uses to measure the impact of pollution on—and designate funding for—certain neighborhoods has some serious flaws. -
President Biden arrived in San Francisco this week to meet with fundraisers and potential donors, but a trip to Pac Heights on Wednesday night was interrupted by protestors. -
On Wednesday, UCSF released a special report on the experience of homelessness for Black Californians. -
On Tuesday night, the Concord City Council voted yes on a rent stabilization ordinance that will have a tremendous impact on renters and landlords in the city. -
Tonight, Concord’s City Council will vote on whether or not to establish a rental ordinance that tenant advocacy groups say they’ve been fighting for for years. -
Low-income San Franciscans who receive cash and other assistance from the city government might be subjected to a drug screening if Proposition F passes this spring. But some healthcare workers oppose the measure.
News Updates
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Last week, a group of housing and homelessness advocates staged a rally at a legislative office in Sacramento, urging Governor Newsom to deliver on a promise to build more affordable housing. -
The U.S. general election is less than six weeks away and elected officials across the country, including California Senator Alex Padilla, are taking steps to protect election workers from harassment and intimidation. -
Kaiser Permanente's last nursing home in California will officially close its doors in mid-November. -
The school year has just begun, but students, faculty and staff in the California State University system say they are already feeling the impact of budget cuts. -
On Thursday afternoon, a coalition gathered on the steps of San Francisco’s City Hall, to protest the city’s policy on “aggressive” encampment sweeps. -
On Wednesday afternoon, San Francisco Superior Court staff rallied outside of the Hall of Justice to demand that management do more to address the court’s staffing crisis. -
The official data from San Francisco’s 2024 Point-in-Time count came out this week, it shows an increase in homelessness, but officials say the city has made progress on getting people into shelters. -
On Tuesday night, a community of people living in RV’s in San Francisco were forced to move from a parking lot near the Zoo. -
On Monday, dozens of medical interns and resident physicians rallied outside of the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. -
Last week, Governor Newsom issued a statewide order, directing cities to clear homeless encampments. Advocates and stakeholders say this will only make things worse for the state’s unhoused population.
Crosscurrents
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CrosscurrentsPart six of our series on sea level rise looks at a dune restabilization project at Ocean Beach, and a wastewater treatment plant that is being threatened by coastal erosion and rising tides. -
CrosscurrentsToday is Transgender Day of Visibility. It’s a day to celebrate the lives and accomplishments of trans people, while also acknowledging the discrimination and challenges many still face.March was a particularly tense time for trans folks in San Francisco. Two local bathhouses — Imperial Spa in the Fillmore district, and Archimedes Banya in Hunters Point — were accused of enforcing anti-trans policies.After facing backlash online and potential protests, Imperial Spa quickly reversed their policy. But at Banya, it was a little more complicated. -
CrosscurrentsFor months organizers in California have been working to spread the word about a helpline for perpetrators of domestic and intimate partner violence. You heard that right. A helpline for perpetrators, not victims.It’s an unusual approach to a serious problem: Rates of domestic violence in the U.S. are high, and they got even worse during the pandemic.The helpline – A Call for Change – promises anonymity to its callers. Their goal is to provide a non-carceral approach to preventing domestic and intimate partner violence. -
CrosscurrentsIn part two of this series, we'll learn about the larger network of service providers that the Mobile Support Team works with. And what happens to their clients after a crisis. -
CrosscurrentsLast year, Sonoma County got state funding to make their Mobile Support Team available 24/7. In part one of this series, we look at the complexities of crisis intervention. -
CrosscurrentsToday, an update on Oakland’s community response program for non-violent, non-emergency 911 calls. How and when you can call them, and what they’re doing for Oaklanders. -
CrosscurrentsEvery other year, communities across the country count the number of unhoused folks in their area. It's a way to get federal funding. But is the model working? -
CrosscurrentsStudent reporters have been at the center of pro-Palestine encampments across the world. But what's it like being a student reporter today? -
CrosscurrentsSubstance abuse experts say there’s a strong connection between the stress of the pandemic and increased drug and alcohol use nationwide. In this story, we take a closer look at one of the personal stories behind the statistics. -
CrosscurrentsIt’s been 34 years since the Loma Prieta earthquake changed the San Francisco Bay Area forever. The Neighborhood Emergency Response Team is part of its legacy.
