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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.

Episodes by Kai (6,123)

Marketplace

What happens if Trump brings back Schedule F?

Oct 31, 2024
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Make Me Smart | Episode 1275

Some not-so-scary news for the Fed

Oct 31, 2024
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Marketplace

The consumer spending sweet spot

Oct 30, 2024
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Make Me Smart | Episode 1274

Is Big Tech’s investment in AI paying off?

Oct 30, 2024
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Make Me Smart | Episode 1273

Live from Boston, Part 2: Heather Cox Richardson

Oct 29, 2024
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Marketplace

Why American solar manufacturers are divided on tariffs

Oct 29, 2024
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Marketplace

Why Fed independence is crucial

Oct 28, 2024
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Make Me Smart | Episode 1272

Keeping calm in the eye of the election storm

Oct 28, 2024
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Make Me Smart | Episode 1271

Make Me Smart: Live in Boston

Oct 25, 2024
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Marketplace

What's better, a pension or a 401(k)?

Oct 24, 2024
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Latest Stories (5,831)

Breaking Ground

Looking for a “fresh start” amid Phoenix’s semiconductor boom

by Kai Ryssdal , Heather Long and Maria Hollenhorst
May 2, 2024
The federal government is spending billions to support semiconductor manufacturing. But trainees seeking chipmaking jobs may have to wait.
Students in the Semiconductor Technician Quick Start training course at Mesa Community College practice while wearing “bunny suits,” the required workwear at fabrication plants.
Maria Hollenhorst/Marketplace
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In the barge business, this year has been "consistent, predictable and profitable"

by Kai Ryssdal and Sofia Terenzio
May 1, 2024
At Golding Barge Line in Vicksburg, Mississippi, volume and demand are stable, but rising prices continue to pose a challenge.
"Our equipment is more expensive than ever, to repair it is more expensive than ever," says Austin Golding of Golding Barge Line. "The ability for me to grow is really inhibited by that cost structure."
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
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Breaking Ground

Chip factory growth boughs to native plants in Phoenix

by Maria Hollenhorst , Kai Ryssdal and Heather Long
May 1, 2024
Here's the story of one business at the intersection of conservation and growth amid Phoenix’s semiconductor boom.
“What we have been able to do with developers is make them understand that not only is there an environmental advantage to saving the trees ... there's also a monetary advantage,” says Rob Kater, owner of Native Resources.
Maria Hollenhorst/Marketplace
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Breaking Ground

CHIPS funds are heading to Phoenix, “ground zero for the new economy”

by Kai Ryssdal , Heather Long and Maria Hollenhorst
Apr 30, 2024
An influx of federal investment in the Arizona metropolis is meant to energize the nation's tech industry and accelerate job creation. Will it work?
President Joe Biden arrives at the TSMC facility in Phoenix to speak in December 2022. TSMC was recently awarded $6.6 billion in CHIPS Act funding.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
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As drive-thrus get bigger, some cities aren't lovin' it

by Kai Ryssdal and Sean McHenry
Apr 18, 2024
The rise of online ordering drives restaurant chains to build more drive-thrus, but traffic and walkability concerns have led to bans.
Cars swarm the drive-thrus at a CosMc's in Bolingbrook, Illinois. The brand, owned by McDonald's, only serves customers in drive-thru lanes.
Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images
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Fans want "Coyote vs. Acme," but Warner Bros. isn't releasing it

by Kai Ryssdal and Sofia Terenzio
Apr 16, 2024
The theory is that the studio is trying to save on its tax bill after merging with Discovery, reporter Teddy Brown says.
"What's a little maddening for folks is that we can see all this stuff happening but still have no way to actually change it," says reporter Teddy Brown about fans' frustration over the studio holding onto the film.
Olivier Chouchana/AFP via Getty Images
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While the secondhand market booms, thrifting is coming apart at the seams

by Kai Ryssdal and Aleezeh Hasan
Apr 15, 2024
If you've recently dug through the racks of a Goodwill and found a lot of lower-quality fast fashion, you're not alone, says Kelsey Vlamis of Business Insider.
"Needs-based shoppers are increasingly getting priced out, and it's getting harder to find those, like, special pieces at an affordable price," says Business Insider reporter Kelsey Vlamis.
Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images
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Colleges are hiring general managers to help athletes navigate NIL deals

by Kai Ryssdal and Sofia Terenzio
Apr 11, 2024
Colleges want the best athletes to play at their school. So what's one way to attract them? Help them get the best name, image and likeness deals.
Schools want their athletes to benefit from their popularity "because it helps both the player, and it also helps the schools make sure they can get the best players," says Austin Meek or The Athletic. Above, Caitlin Clark in the NCAA championship game.
Thien-An Truong/ISI Photos/Getty Images
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National Debt

Fed Chair Powell: Interest rates likely won't return to "historically low levels" before the pandemic

by Kai Ryssdal , Sean McHenry and Andie Corban
Mar 29, 2024
Powell discusses how monetary policymakers arrive at consensus, the value of transparency and the issues that influence interest rate decisions.
"Marketplace" host Kai Ryssdal interviews Jay Powell, head of the Federal Reserve.
Courtesy Federal Reserve
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Vending machines: An emerging side hustle

by Kai Ryssdal , Sean McHenry and Aleezeh Hasan
Mar 28, 2024
Some vending machine owners make hundreds of dollars a month, says Joe Pinsker, a reporter with The Wall Street Journal.
Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images
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