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 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. Now, he edits and reports for KALW's newscast.
All Stories
-
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. -
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. -
After five months of an enforced “vending ban” on Mission St. San Francisco has announced that they’re closing down “El Tiangue” the storefront they provided for vendors on 17th and Mission.
News Updates
-
The Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in two cases today about the right for trans women and girls to play sports. -
Mayor Lurie announced on Wednesday that the city will soon be offering an alternative to jail or hospitalization for people who are arrested while on drugs. -
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors are back from the holidays, and they wasted no time during Tuesday’s regular meeting to bring up the citywide PG&E power outages. -
U.S. Republican Representative Doug LaMalfa, died on Monday evening. -
In a victory for the embattled Sunset Dunes park, a San Francisco superior court judge rejected a lawsuit against Proposition K on Monday. -
A new state law could make some California homeowners eligible for grant funding to make their homes fire proof. -
The Oakland City Council voted 7 - 1 to approve the Oakland Police Department's Flock Safety camera expansion plan. -
Starting tomorrow, Sutter Health will stop providing gender affirming care to its patients who are younger than 19 years old. -
California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta is suing the Trump administration… for the 48th time this year. -
The DMV has published an expanded list of approved areas in California for Waymo operation and testing.
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?
