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)
For "Young Rock" co-creator, even a pandemic won't make comedy go away
by
Kai Ryssdal
and Sean McHenry
Feb 18, 2021
Nahnatchka Khan, co-creator of the NBC series "Young Rock," talks TV production and how a tough year can be translated into amusing entertainment.
The pandemic as seen by a high-school senior and his older brother
by
Kai Ryssdal
and Maria Hollenhorst
Feb 17, 2021
“It's very easy to just stay in your room all day and not let anybody know what's happening to you,” says student AJ Williams.
Checking in on America’s “data infrastructure”
by
Kai Ryssdal
and Maria Hollenhorst
Feb 11, 2021
For everything you do, there's a statistic, and behind that number are federal statistical agencies in need of attention.
Carnival and Mardi Gras usually mean $1 billion for the New Orleans economy. What about this year?
by
Kai Ryssdal
and Alli Fam
Feb 11, 2021
Quentin Messer Jr., head of the New Orleans Business Alliance, says the city's spirit is alive, but there's a sense of loss too.
When it comes to relief, think of the economy as a car tire
by
Kai Ryssdal
and Andie Corban
Feb 10, 2021
Wendy Edelberg from Brookings evaluates what the Republican and Democratic relief proposals could mean for GDP.
"We need to fundamentally alter the trajectory of the recovery"
by
Kai Ryssdal
Feb 9, 2021
"The risks of going too small with this package far outweigh the risks of going too big," says Bharat Ramamurti, deputy director of the National Economic Council.
"Miss Juneteenth" tells the story of a Black woman trying to build a better economic future
by
Kai Ryssdal
and Sean McHenry
Feb 8, 2021
Writer-director Channing Godfrey Peoples discusses her debut film and the economic realities it draws upon.
What does the GameStop story mean for regular investors?
by
Kai Ryssdal
and Andie Corban
Feb 4, 2021
Neil Irwin of The New York Times discusses the "laziest, simplest approach" to investing and says aspects of populism have long influenced the markets.
Why Valentine’s Day shipping delays are this CEO’s “biggest fear”
by
Kai Ryssdal
and Maria Hollenhorst
Feb 3, 2021
“There’s just a lot of it that’s out of our control completely,” says Christina Stembel of Farmgirl Flowers.
Despite challenges, this movie theater operator is optimistic about the future
by
Kai Ryssdal
and Maria Hollenhorst
Jan 28, 2021
“While streaming is a reality, it’s not communal,” said Stephanie Silverman of Nashville’s Belcourt Theatre. People “will want to be out in the world again.”