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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Last week, phones all over the Bay Area lit up with a tsunami evacuation warning. But, an hour later, the warning was canceled. People were relieved, but had questions about what happened. -
The 2024 offshore Cape Mendocino earthquake hit just off the coast of Humboldt county this morning, triggering tsunami warnings throughout much of Northern California. -
Today, frustrated San Franciscans filed a petition letter with the Department of Elections to recall District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio. -
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. -
The National Weather Service says an atmospheric river is expected to hit parts of the North Coast this week, and has issued a flood watch in several North Bay counties. -
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. -
On January 1, the California Daylighting Law will go into effect. This means cars will no longer be allowed to park within 20 feet of an approaching crosswalk or intersection. -
San Francisco’s mayoral race is still too close to call, but political outsider Daniel Lurie took an early lead last night. -
PG&E has announced that about 15,000 of its customers may lose power starting Election Day. -
On Monday, the City of Oakland announced that a program to prevent gun violence is getting a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
News Updates
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Starting tomorrow, Waymos, Uber Black, and Lyft Black cars will be allowed to pick up and drop people off on certain parts of Market Street. -
The registration period for California’s Earthquake Brace + Bolt seismic retrofit program opened yesterday. -
New data from the Environmental Protection Agency shows that most of the United States’ water supply is contaminated with “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. -
The San Francisco Bay could soon become home to the United States’ first fleet of electric ferries. -
The State Department announced on Saturday that it is temporarily halting visitor visas for people from Gaza, including children seeking medical care. -
The Bay Area Air District filed a lawsuit against a landfill in Martinez on Thursday for illegally emitting high levels of methane and other air pollutants. -
San Francisco federal workers, seniors, and advocates will rally at the Federal Building on Thursday to protest cuts to Social Security. KALW's Wren Farrell has more. -
An East Oakland recycling facility has reached an agreement with the Bay Area Air District to resolve the company's air quality violations. -
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Three injured Palestinian children arrived at San Francisco International Airport this week seeking medical care in the Bay Area.
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
CrosscurrentsCommunity Responders: Oakland’s Alternative to the Police, is a series that focuses on one non-police crisis response program. What else is out there?
