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
-
Homeowners in 815 ZIP codes can now apply for a statewide financial assistance program, to improve the stability of their houses in an earthquake. -
According to the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency, more than a thousand volunteers hit the streets of Alameda County on Thursday morning, collecting data for the 2024 Point-in-time count. -
On Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to reverse Safeway’s plan to close its location in the Western Addition. KALW’s Wren Farrell has more. -
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan announced that a hotel in downtown San Jose will be transformed into a mixed-income housing complex. -
Last year, UCSF released California’s largest study on homelessness in 30 years. And its data is being used by policy experts across the state to address some of the key issues driving homelessness. -
Last week, the California Department of Public Health issued new, more relaxed COVID guidelines. They say that broad immunity and widespread access to vaccines is reducing the impact of the disease. -
The Color of Change PAC has come out in support of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, claiming that the recall movement against her is the result of “far-right, extremist” interests. -
On Tuesday the San Francisco Board of Supervisors became the largest U.S. city to pass a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. -
Last week, Richmond began looking for a program manager for the city’s new community crisis response program. -
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.
News Updates
-
Officials gathered in the Bayview on Tuesday morning to celebrate renovations to a new wastewater treatment plant. -
Santa Clara County released its 2025 point-in-time count report yesterday. KALW’s Wren Farrell has more. -
Today, San Francisco’s Recreation and Parks Department announced that its long-time manager, Phil Ginsburg, will be leaving his role at the end of the year. -
With increasing threats to federal funding, state lawmakers have introduced a new bill to fund scientific research in California. -
The Oakland People’s Arms Embargo Coalition met this morning at Oakland airport to demand an end to all military shipments to Israel. -
Supervisor Joel Engardio has been recalled. -
The special recall election for District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio is happening today. -
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is likely to finalize an almost three-million dollar settlement of a lawsuit with the Coalition on Homelessness in regards to its "bag & tag" policy. -
A new report from Food and Water Watch found that the drinking water for almost 60 million Americans is at risk for contamination. -
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.
Crosscurrents
-
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?
