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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 (5,973)

Make Me Smart | Episode 1177

Less is not always more in economic data

Jun 7, 2024
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Marketplace

Better-than-expected job growth

Jun 7, 2024
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Marketplace

What do interest rate cuts in Europe mean for the U.S.?

Jun 6, 2024
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Make Me Smart | Episode 1176

Why the Fed won't hop on the rate-cutting bandwagon just yet

Jun 6, 2024
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Marketplace

Lone Star stock exchange

Jun 5, 2024
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Make Me Smart | Episode 1175

What summer heat waves mean for prisons

Jun 5, 2024
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Make Me Smart | Episode 1174

The good, the bad and the ugly of election polling

Jun 4, 2024
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Marketplace

The "great stay"?

Jun 4, 2024
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Marketplace

Who benefits from mortgage interest tax breaks?

Jun 3, 2024
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Make Me Smart | Episode 1173

A shadow looms over the Fed

Jun 3, 2024
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Latest Stories (5,794)

National Debt

Commerce chief lays out blueprint for chip manufacturing in America

by Kai Ryssdal and Sarah Leeson
May 10, 2024
The supply chain is being built to reduce U.S. vulnerability and seize opportunities like artificial intelligence, Raimondo says.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo discussed chips, China and jobs with Marketplace's Kai Ryssdal in Washington.
Nancy Farghalli/Marketplace
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Inflation is "not yet where it needs to be," Treasury Secretary Yellen says

by Kai Ryssdal and Sean McHenry
May 9, 2024
Janet Yellen addresses the state of the U.S. economy and underscores the country's rivalry and collaboration with China in an interview.
"I think it's important for Americans to understand how critical democracy is to economic performance," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says. Above, Yellen testifies at a House Ways and Means committee hearing on April 30.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
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If the divestment movement succeeds, will it have an economic impact?

by Kai Ryssdal and Sofia Terenzio
May 3, 2024
Divestment might not move the needle on government or corporate policy, but it could shift "hearts and minds," says Alison Taylor of NYU.
Allison Bailey/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
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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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