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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On Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved legislation to expand a program that relocates unhoused people out of the city. -
A plan to stabilize rent in Concord is on hold. -
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.
News Updates
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On Monday, the Berkeley City Manager, Dee Williams-Ridley, announced that she is resigning from her position as the city’s top administrator. -
On Monday, San Francisco State University students, faculty, and administration began an “open negotiations session” with the university to discuss the demands of the San Francisco State Gaza student encampment. -
Over the weekend, a crowd of stakeholders gathered at UCSF’s Parnassus campus to kick off construction for what the university says will be a 15-story, “state-of-the-art” facility. -
On Monday, students and faculty at San Francisco State University rallied at the campus’s Malcolm X plaza, demanding divestment from Israel’s war on Palestine. -
Today, the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of its new 911 dispatch center. -
On Tuesday morning, more than 50 tents were pitched outside of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley, with students and organizers there asking that the university meet a number of demands – including divesting from Israel’s war on Palestine. -
Earlier this week, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ask for the state’s help preventing the closure of one of the region's only trauma centers. -
At Tuesday’s SFMTA Board meeting, a group of people living in RVs near San Francisco State University asked that the Board delay new parking restrictions. -
The SFMTA Board Tuesday approved the locations of 33 new speed cameras in San Francisco. -
Today, the Alameda County registrar of voters announced that the movement to recall District Attorney Pamela Price has officially gathered enough signatures to trigger a recall election.
Crosscurrents
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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? -
CrosscurrentsMACRO was created to address some of the toughest problems facing Oakland, from addiction and mental health issues to homelessness. But, building trust takes time. -
CrosscurrentsMACRO was formed in 2022 as an alternative to cops for non-emergency, non-violent 911 calls. But deciding when they should be deployed hasnt been consistent. -
CrosscurrentsMACRO is Oakland’s non-police response team. They’ve been running since mid-2022, but how do they differ from police, firefighters, and paramedics?
