Wren Farrell
ReporterWren 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
-
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. -
A hands-on, interactive workshop where we build our emergency kits together with guidance from emergency preparedness experts. -
The Trump administration is considering using a shuttered prison in Dublin to house immigrants who are waiting to be deported. -
Tonight, the Fremont City Council will vote on whether or not to adopt a new camping ban. -
Hundreds of protestors gathered outside of Senator Alex Padilla’s office in San Francisco yesterday to demand he and other Democrats do more to resist President Trump. -
-
More than a hundred people gathered on the steps of San Francisco’s City Hall yesterday afternoon to reaffirm the city’s commitment to its sanctuary status. -
The City of Oakland is preparing its upcoming two-year budget and it’s asking Oakland residents to give input on its spending priorities. -
A group of unhoused and housed organizers and advocates launched ‘sanctuary spaces’ across the West Coast earlier today, calling on local governments to stop sweeping homeless encampments. -
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.
News Updates
-
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. -
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.
Crosscurrents
-
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?
