My Analog LifeHow We SurviveI've Always Wondered ...A Warmer World

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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 (6,003)

Marketplace

How many Native people live in the U.S.? Good question.

Jul 5, 2024
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Make Me Smart | Episode 1197

From "This Is Uncomfortable": The high price of cheap clothes

Jul 5, 2024
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Make Me Smart | Episode 1196

From "Million Bazillion": Why is there so much gold at Fort Knox?

Jul 4, 2024
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Marketplace

The Federal Reserve's fork in the road

Jul 3, 2024
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Make Me Smart | Episode 1195

Our GPS system is wearing down

Jul 3, 2024
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Marketplace

That snooze-fest jobs report is probably a good thing

Jul 2, 2024
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Make Me Smart | Episode 1194

The evolution of the American office

Jul 2, 2024
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Make Me Smart | Episode 1193

A one-two punch for the power of federal agencies

Jul 1, 2024
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Marketplace

A rigged version of Monopoly

Jul 1, 2024
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Make Me Smart | Episode 1192

Our take on the debate (and drone light shows)

Jun 28, 2024
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Latest Stories (5,801)

Why isn't there an Amazon for real estate?

by Kai Ryssdal and Sarah Leeson
Nov 8, 2023
Despite the world going digital, homebuying is still a highly analog process. James Rodriquez of Insider discusses the quest for a superapp.
While the initial house hunt can be done online, arranging inspections, figuring out escrow and other tasks tend to be done in person, on the phone and on paper.
Shaun Curry/AFP via Getty Images
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His EV trip through the Southeast required a charging station map — and privilege

by Richard Cunningham and Kai Ryssdal
Nov 8, 2023
Adam Mahoney, a reporter for Capital B News, explains how driving an electric vehicle put him in a precarious situation as a Black man.
"I wasn’t necessarily as versed in just the long-distance aspect of EV travel with public charging," says Adam Mahoney, a reporter with Capital B News. "So it ended up taking that initial trip from being a five-hour drive to almost 12 hours."
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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With rising elder care costs, the Great Wealth Transfer won't be so great

by Kai Ryssdal and Richard Cunningham
Nov 6, 2023
Older generations are spending down their nest eggs and leaving smaller inheritances to adult children, writer Annie Logue explains.
Many Americans, especially baby boomers, will have to spend much of their savings on health care as they age.
Getty Images
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Small phones are hard to find

by Kai Ryssdal and Sofia Terenzio
Nov 2, 2023
Makers seem to favor devices with much larger displays. Sean Hollister at The Verge recounts his search for a good small phone.
Customers are being directed toward phones with larger displays, like Apple's latest release, the iPhone 15 Pro.
James D. Morgan/Getty Images
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Another year, another record harvest for this Iowa farmer

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban
Oct 31, 2023
"I thought I'm gonna have so much income," said April Hemmes. "But all my inputs were all that much higher."
April Hemmes on her farm in 2019. This year, she had a record soybean harvest despite a drought earlier in the year.
Ben Hethcoat/Marketplace
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The value of parks is rising. Luckily, in many cases, costs are declining.

by Kai Ryssdal and Richard Cunningham
Oct 25, 2023
High construction expenses and budget pressures are pushing developers to be creatively cost-conscious as they expand access to green spaces.
Parks are a resource for mental health and climate resilience, says journalist Patrick Sisson.
Francesco Scatena/iStock/Getty Images Plus
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Is CEO pay out of control?

by Kai Ryssdal and Sarah Leeson
Oct 23, 2023
How much is too much? Union strikes and shareholder discussions have put executive compensation centerstage.
Disney CEO Bob Iger came under fire when he called striking writers' demand for higher pay "just not realistic" — despite making more than 500 times the median salary of his own employees.
Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Disney
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A new book follows one meal from seed to serving

by Kai Ryssdal and Sarah Leeson
Oct 17, 2023
"The Dish" by Andrew Friedman shows just how many steps the phrase "farm to table" skips.
From farmers to dishwashers, every part of the food chain of one meal is examined in the book.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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"I should have taken up golf": Mortgage lenders have time on their hands

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban
Oct 16, 2023
Vivian Gueler of mortgage lender Pacific Trust Group says business has been "dead quiet" for the past few months.
High mortgage rates are keeping housing supplies low; people don't want to sell homes with lower rates secured earlier in the pandemic.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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Going solar isn't always sunshine and rainbows

by Kai Ryssdal , Sarah Leeson and Sofia Terenzio
Oct 13, 2023
For the early adopters of rooftop solar panels, maintaining and repairing faulty panels is a costly challenge of its own.
Many solar panel companies have gone out of business, making it hard for early adopters to repair faulty panels.
adamkaz / Getty Images
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