John Dimsdale

Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief, Marketplace

SHORT BIO

John Dimsdale has spent almost 40 years in radio. As the former head of Marketplace’s Washington, D.C., bureau, he provided insightful commentary on the intersection of government and money for the entire Marketplace portfolio.

As Dimsdale notes, “Sooner or later, every story in the world comes through Washington,” and reporting on those issues is like “… going to school with all the best professors and then reporting to listeners what I found out at the end of the day … Can you believe they pay me to do that?”

Dimsdale began working for Marketplace in 1990, when he opened the D.C. bureau. The next day, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, triggering the first Gulf War, and Dimsdale has been busy ever since.

In his 20 years at Marketplace, Dimsdale has reported on two wars, the dot-com boom, the housing bust, healthcare reform and the greening of energy. His interviews with four U.S. Presidents, four Hall-of-Famers, broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite, computer scientist Sergey Brin, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson and former U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey stand out as favorites. Some of his greatest contributions include a series on government land-use policies and later, a series on the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste disposal site.

Before joining Marketplace, Dimsdale worked at NPR, the Pennsylvania Public Television Network, Post-Newsweek Stations and Independent Network News.

A native of Washington, D.C., and the son of a federal government employee, Dimsdale has been passionate about public policy since the Vietnam War. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Washington College in Chestertown, Md., and a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo.

Dimsdale and his wife, Claire, live in the suburb of Silver Spring, Md., and when not working, he enjoys traveling, carpentry, photography, videography, swimming and home brewing.

Latest Stories (983)

City planners warm to 'accessory apartments'

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But many frown on using extra space in single-family homes for housing.

Are banks benefitting from CARD Act they lobbied against?

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A law restricting credit card acess for poor credit risks has resulted in fewer defaults.

Bernanke tentative on growth, consumer confidence

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This hour Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke took his regular seat before the Senate Banking Committee. As always, his words are getting careful scrutiny. We break down the good news and the bad news from his testimony.

Bernanke likely to be queried about LIBOR scandal

Jul 17, 2012
Senators are likely to question Federal Reserve chairman about what banking regulators knew about manipulation of key lending rate.

Finding new work difficult for older workers

Jul 13, 2012
Finding a new job in this economy is hard for everyone, particularly for those above 55. It takes more effort, sacrifice and a little bit of creativity.

Craft brewers bet on growth

Jul 4, 2012
In the business of beer, the big brewers keep getting bigger -- almost 90 percent of beer sold in the U.S. comes from just two conglomerates. But smaller craft breweries are also growing.

New group aims to break Dodd-Frank logjam

Jul 3, 2012
A bipartisan collection of heavy hitters -- including former FDIC chair Sheila Bair and former Fed chairman Paul Volcker -- are behind a new push to boost financial regulations, but their quest may be quixotic.

Transportation deal could be reached in Washington

Jun 29, 2012
Lawmakers in Washington are poised today to approve a bill that provides billions for transportation projects and lowers student loan interest rates.

Supreme Court upholds core of Obama health care law

Jun 28, 2012
After much deliberation and anticipation, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on the Affordable Care Act and the universal mandate, and has determined it is constitutional under Congress' authority to tax.

Dry weather in U.S. causing fires, hurting farms

Jun 28, 2012
Tens of thousands of people have evacuated from the Colorado Springs area because of a raging wildfire that's threatening homes. Those fires make for some dramatic images, but the real drama for many of us will come from the effect dry weather is having on farms.