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NPR ‘founding mother’ Susan Stamberg passes away at 87
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AirTalk Tile 2024
Oct 17, 2025
Listen 1:01:48
NPR ‘founding mother’ Susan Stamberg passes away at 87

Today on AirTalk, NPR 'founding mother' Susan Stamberg passed away yesterday; LAist Senior Editor Suzanne Levy joins to talk about her battles with neighborhood squirrel 'Mindy;' we hear from listeners about their own experiences with gardening and wildlife with horticultural consultant Lili Singer; and FilmWeek.

NPR's Susan Stamberg attends the ceremony honoring her with a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles on March 3, 2020.
(
Michael Tran
/
AFP via Getty Images
)

NPR ‘founding mother’ Susan Stamberg passes away at 87

Listen 9:58
NPR ‘founding mother’ Susan Stamberg passes away at 87

Susan Stamberg, a “founding mother” of National Public Radio and the first female broadcaster to host a national news program, has died. She was 87. Stamberg died Thursday, NPR reported. It did not provide a cause of death. Stamberg joined NPR in the early 1970s when it was getting off the ground as a network of radio stations across the country. During her career, she interviewed thousands of people, from prominent politicians and artists to the less well-known like White House chefs and people who work behind the scenes in Hollywood. Joining us to dig into Stamberg’s life a bit further is Lisa Napoli, author of the book ‘Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR.’

Protecting your garden from large critters

Listen 20:19
Protecting your garden from large critters

Crafting the perfect home garden takes time, practice, and a whole lot of patience. But what happens when your beautiful garden becomes a new point of interest for your animal neighbors? Whether it’s squirrels stealing figs or gophers gnawing at your vegetables, is there anything you can do to safeguard your garden? Joining us on AirTalk to discuss is Suzanne Levy, senior editor for LAist, and Lili Singer, horticultural consultant and vice president of the Southern California Horticultural Society. We also want to hear from you! Do you have a question about protecting your garden from critters?

FilmWeek: ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘Good Fortune,’ ‘The Mastermind,’ and more!

Listen 31:29
FilmWeek: ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘Good Fortune,’ ‘The Mastermind,’ and more!

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Tim Cogshell and Beandrea July review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.

Films:

Frankenstein, In Select Theaters

Good Fortune, Wide Release

Black Phone 2, Wide Release

Blue Moon, In Select Theaters

The Mastermind, In Select Theaters

It Was Just an Accident, AMC Century City

A Mother Apart, Streaming on PBS

The Perfect Neighbor, Streaming on Netflix

Trains, In Select Laemmle Theaters

Queen of Manhattan, Available on VOD

Credits
Host, AirTalk
Host, Morning Edition, AirTalk Friday, The L.A. Report Morning Edition
Senior Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Associate Producer, AirTalk & FilmWeek
Associate Producer, AirTalk
Associate Producer (On-Call), AirTalk
Apprentice News Clerk, FilmWeek