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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)

Why are people spending so much money on NFTs?

Mar 3, 2021
Jamie Wilde from Morning Brew explains how nonfungible tokens work.
A video clip of LeBron James sold for more than $200,000 as an NFT.
Harry How/Getty Images

Why is Bitcoin better? Let her count the ways.

Mar 2, 2021
Laura Shin, one of the first reporters to cover crypto-assets full time, says Bitcoin's "the most fascinating thing" she's watched.
Ozan Kose/Getty Images

Denver beauty bar was shut by pandemic before it even opened

Mar 1, 2021
"I could have never predicted that it would be this bad," says Ashlie Ordonez, owner of The Bare Bar.
"I actually sold my $12,000 anniversary ring to put towards the business," Ashlie Ordonez says of keeping her Denver salon, The Bare Bar, afloat.
Courtesy of Ashlie Ordonez

Running a mall is "still a struggle" nearly a year into the pandemic

Feb 26, 2021
When a customer refuses to wear a mask inside the Butte Plaza Mall, manager Alana Ferko gets called in to help.
Gil Cohen-Magen/Getty Images

Agriculture is counting on pent-up demand for its recovery

Feb 25, 2021
COVID-19 killed demand for many farm products. But with vaccine rollouts and consumers venturing out again, will that turn around?
A farmer plants soybeans near Dwight, Illinois.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

In Regina King's "One Night in Miami," Black icons wrestle with how to use their power

Feb 24, 2021
The Emmy- and Academy Award-winning actress discusses her directorial debut and what she hopes audiences take away from the film.
"All of those things that make me who I am, I'm bringing to the storytelling process," says actor-director Regina King.
Courtesy of Amazon Studios.

What does inflation look like?

Feb 23, 2021
Inflation’s been hard to find in this economy for years, but what if that changes?
At 2% inflation, the Federal Reserve's target rate, it takes about 35 years for prices to double.
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

What if jobless benefit boosts didn't need congressional approval?

Feb 22, 2021
Throughout the pandemic, federal unemployment benefits have had expiration dates. Some economists think there's a better way.
President Joe Biden discussing his administration's proposed $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief legislation.
Stefani Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images

Do looks matter for success in economics? Actually, they're pretty important.

Feb 18, 2021
The short answer is yes, but you should read the long answer too.
A recent working paper on the effect of attractiveness on the job outcomes of economists is the latest example of the economics profession reflecting on itself.
Photo by Norman Smith/Fox Photos/Getty Images

Running an online business ... when the power goes out

Feb 18, 2021
Jess Evans, who runs an Austin trivia company, is "so cold and so worried about the business." A strong internet connection is her priority.
A polar vortex storm has brought historic cold weather and power outages to Texas. Above, a State Highway 195 sign in Killeen.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images