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Kai Ryssdal

Host and Senior Editor

SHORT BIO

Kai is the host and senior editor of “Marketplace,” the most widely heard program on business and the economy — radio or television, commercial or public broadcasting — in the country. Kai speaks regularly with CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, startup entrepreneurs, small-business owners and everyday participants in the American and global economies. Before his career in broadcasting, Kai served in the United States Navy and United States Foreign Service. He’s a graduate of Emory University and Georgetown University. Kai lives in Los Angeles with his wife and four children.

Latest Stories (5,837)

Shining a light on our broken power grids, and the risks they pose

Aug 30, 2022
"California Burning" tells how the struggle to manage aging infrastructure, climate change and the bottom line can lead to disaster.
The Camp Fire destroys a home in Northern California in 2018. Author Katherine Blunt discusses the disaster's consequences for the region's residents and for the Pacific Gas and Electric utility in her book "California Burning."
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

“Get Chris Pratt in the driver’s seat or this thing’s done”

Aug 26, 2022
An artificial intelligence company’s feedback for a once-aspiring screenwriter.
“It basically chose Chris Pratt as the silver bullet for this film,” said Trung Phan after having a screenplay he’d written analyzed by an artificial intelligence company.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

As streaming subscriptions fall, media giants turn to theme parks, live events for lost revenue

Aug 25, 2022
Pent up demand for in-person experiences may make up for slipping subscriber numbers.
The interest in live events and theme park tickets has skyrocketed as the industry receives pent up demand from the pandemic.
(Photo Walt Disney World Resorts via Getty Images)

For this firm, the 4-day workweek just didn't work

Aug 24, 2022
After a 10-week trial, an employee survey revealed stress tied to the altered schedules. But the CEO is still working on solutions.
Some companies have experimented with schedules to boost satisfaction and reduce stress. At Alter Agents, though, an employee survey showed that "a lot of the numbers that we expected to go up, went down," said CEO Rebecca Brooks.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

6 months into the war, how's the Russian economy faring?

Aug 24, 2022
Russia remains economically isolated and it's suffering a brain drain of young, educated professionals, explains Kristy Ironside of McGill University.
Russia's financial isolation has contributed to the recovery of the ruble's value.
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images

The multibillion-dollar youth sports industry is leaving lots of kids on the sidelines

Aug 23, 2022
In "Take Back the Game," Linda Flanagan looks at how the growing youth sports industry has become a recipe for haves and have-nots.
According to author Linda Flanagan, parents are the main spenders in the youth sports industry. "It goes into travel, to equipment, to team memberships," said Flanagan. "There's an entire world out there that is offering sports options to parents, and they're paying up."
Sarah Reed/Getty Images for FIFA

Unengaged workers are fired up about "quiet quitting"

Young workers' sense of "wanting to untether my job from my identity" has grown in the past year, The Journal's Lindsay Ellis reports.
During the pandemic, with stress and mental health problems widespread, more employees have become less committed to their jobs.
Prostock-Studio/Getty Images

In 2022, you can clean your plate, then eat it

Aug 19, 2022
From forks and spoons to straws and plates, edible tableware is a growing sustainability trend, says Axios' Jennifer Kingson.
"One of the biggest marketing hooks for these products is that they are actually home compostable," says Jennifer Kingson of Axios.
Vershinin/Getty Images

Is everyone back at the office? It depends on where you live.

Aug 18, 2022
Office occupancy remains low in cities like New York and San Francisco, while places like Columbus, Ohio, are nearly back to pre-pandemic levels.
Office occupancy rates remain low in major urban areas like New York City. Above, a person eats lunch on the terrace of a Manhattan office building.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Ice cream trucks struggle despite the heat

Aug 16, 2022
Ice cream trucks are raising prices to keep up with increasing costs. That's putting a chill in sales, Christina Morales of The New York Times reports.
As inflation heats up, ice cream truck drivers are being forced to raise prices.
Chris Hondros/Getty Images