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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)

In Butte, Montana, holiday shoppers "spent a lot, smiled a lot"

Jan 11, 2023
Mall manager Alana Ferko is coming off a strong holiday shopping season coupled with new business from a Hollywood production.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images

Why Kia's confusing new logo might actually be good for business

Jan 9, 2023
A logo expert weighs in on “KN car” confusion and the wider design trend Kia’s logo exemplifies.
The logo of Kia on its new all-electric vehicle, EV6, during its showcase event in Seoul in June 2021.
Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images

The "sneaky practice" of shrinkflation has been driving up your grocery bills for years

Jan 4, 2023
Shrinkflation means getting less product for the same price, and it's not going away anytime soon.
Shrinkflation is a tactic manufacturers use to pass on price increases to consumers. For instance: quietly reducing the number of squares of toilet paper per roll.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Don't panic, it's just a roundabout

Dec 22, 2022
The modern roundabout was created in 1960s Britain. But since the '90s, the small Indianapolis suburb of Carmel, Indiana has slowly become the roundabout capital of the United States.
Popularized in Great Britain, roundabouts work around the key behavior of yielding to those already inside the circle.
James Brey/Getty Images.

Despite challenging economic year, U.S. Trade Ambassador sees "a lot of accomplishments"

Dec 21, 2022
From the launch of the IPEF, to defusing trade tension with the E.U., U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai has had a busy year.
"This is not a partisan position. This is about the totality of the United States economy,"  said U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai. Above, Tai in November.
Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images

Economist El-Erian calls on the Fed to start “owning their mistakes”

The prominent economist Mohamed El-Erian said the Fed is still “behind the curve” on inflation.
Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic adviser for Allianz, blames the Fed for failing to act sooner on inflation.
Rob Kim/Getty Images

How 'Ivy' clothes became a century-spanning fashion mainstay

Dec 19, 2022
"Ivy was a huge clothing phenomenon in the mid-20th century," said Avery Trufelman, host of the podcast "Articles of Interest." "And over time, it evolved into what was in the '70s and '80s called 'preppy style,' and what I argue now almost has no name at all."
"In the 20th century, we went from wanting to look rich to wanting to look cool," said Avery Trufelman. "And the weird thing about it is preppy clothes have changed with all of these trends."
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

5 years later, economics faces another #MeToo moment

Dec 15, 2022
Despite being part of a field that studies inequality, women in economics are taking to Twitter to share stories of continued mistreatment.
Janet Yellen, the current U.S. secretary of the treasury, was president of the American Economic Association in 2020 and advocated for gender parity in the profession.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

How a “divorce” between the Treasury and Fed helped build the modern economy

Dec 13, 2022
In the 1950s, the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve reached an agreement that helped create the economy we have today.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Streaming has its own allure, but movie theaters still offer "a little bit of joy"

Dec 9, 2022
Between surprise hits and the push and pull of streaming, Stephanie Silverman says theaters still have lessons to learn.
Despite the convenience of streaming services, moviegoers are back at theaters.
Getty Images