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
-
Immigrant and labor rights groups joined members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors at City Hall today to reaffirm the city’s commitment to protecting its immigrant population. -
A hearing was held in Oakland earlier today to determine whether or not State Farm General can implement an “emergency rate hike” on customers. -
San Francisco’s five-year financial plan was released on Monday. Local union leaders say the budget can be balanced without major cuts to services. -
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. -
San Mateo County has released an online tool to help local residents assess their tsunami risk. -
Yesterday, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie signed an executive directive that lays out his plan to address homelessness, addiction, and government failure. -
On Monday, a spa in San Francisco seemed to reverse course on alleged discrimination against trans people. -
A Russian bathhouse in San Francisco’s Hunters Point neighborhood has adopted a controversial new policy on their men’s only and women’s only nights. -
Last night, the San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors voted to approve Mayor Lurie’s decision to oust the city’s progressive police commissioner, Max Carter-Oberstone. -
A fire broke out in a seven-story residential building in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood yesterday afternoon.
News Updates
-
An extreme heat wave has hit the Bay Area, impacting even San Francisco, where temps are expected to range between the low 80’s to mid 90’s through the weekend. -
A civil grand Jury report in Contra Costa County has made recommendations to improve the county’s community warning system. -
A group of climbers in Yosemite are staging a 24-hour pro-Palestinian protest in one of the park’s most popular destinations. -
Temperatures began rising dramatically on Tuesday. Over the next few days it’s expected to be between 70 to 80 degrees on the coast and could hit triple digits inland. -
Today, around a hundred anti-Zionist protestors staged a surprise sit-in at the building that houses the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco. -
This week, pro-Palestinian student organizers announced that San Francisco State University has agreed to divest from weapons manufacturers. -
On Monday, UC San Francisco students and healthcare workers erected a pro-Palestine encampment outside of the university’s main library. By 6 p.m., UCSF police removed it. -
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.
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?
