The Uncertain HourI've always wondered ...Econ Extra Credit with David BrancaccioRace and EconomyMake Me Smart Daily

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Kai Ryssdal

Host and senior editor

SHORT BIO

I speak my native tongue into a microphone.

What was your first job?

Lifeguard. (Well, that and mowing lawns.)

What do you think is the hardest part of your job that no one knows?

Staying calm.

What advice do you wish someone had given you before you started this career?

Don't think — just talk.

In your next life, what would your career be?

Helicopter pilot.

Episodes Hosted by Kai (4,716)

Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly | Episode 403

MLB vs. Georgia Republicans

Apr 2, 2021
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Marketplace

Black business leaders confront restrictive voting laws

Apr 2, 2021
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Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly | Episode 402

Georgia Republicans vs. Delta

Apr 1, 2021
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Marketplace

Making up for lost time

Apr 1, 2021
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Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly | Episode 401

What you should know about "family offices"

Mar 31, 2021
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Marketplace

The Biden administration's expansive view of “infrastructure”

Mar 31, 2021
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Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly | Episode 400

40 years later, is this the end of Reaganomics?

Mar 30, 2021
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Marketplace

Inflation is about more than a number

Mar 30, 2021
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Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly | Episode 399

What if the pandemic had ended in June?

Mar 29, 2021
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Marketplace

Not out of the COVID-19 woods just yet

Mar 29, 2021
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Latest Stories (5,290)

Race and Economy

Black executives say corporations "must take a stand" against restrictive voting laws

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban
Apr 2, 2021
"Marketplace" host Kai Ryssdal spoke with Kenneth Frazier, CEO of Merck, and Kenneth Chenault, former CEO of American Express.
Election Day 2020 in Atlanta. Republican officials in Georgia recently passed legislation to limit voting, and many other states are considering new restrictions.
Jessica McGowan/Getty Images
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Micro businesses and the pandemic

The highs and lows of making in-demand pandemic products

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
Apr 1, 2021
Clear plastic barriers to protect workers are everywhere now. What does that mean for companies that make them?
In 2020, California Acrylic Design made custom plastic barriers for schools, government agencies and a wide range of businesses.
Courtesy of California Acrylic Design
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COVID-19

How COVID-19 made high-frequency data a go-to economic indicator

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
Mar 31, 2021
More than ever, economists are turning to alternative forms of data to help them understand the economy in real time.
Geolocation data collected from mobile devices has become a useful pandemic indicator for the CDC, the Federal Reserve and Wall Street analysts.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
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Micro businesses and the pandemic

Why this small business said goodbye to the office for good

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
Mar 31, 2021
“We’re gonna save about $60,000 a year,” said Carolyn Walker, CEO and managing partner of Response Marketing in Connecticut.
The pandemic shrunk Response Marketing's revenue and forced the firm to go virtual. “I feel like if I made it through this, we can make it through anything,” says CEO Carolyn Walker.
Courtesy of Response
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Micro businesses and the pandemic

At this Detroit framing shop, demand is outstripping supply

by Kai Ryssdal and Sean McHenry
Mar 25, 2021
For Eric Vaughn, picture frame demand is up as customers spend more time at home. But can supply keep pace?
"Since we've been back open, it's been pretty busy," said Eric Vaughn. "We've had to kind of change the way we do business, simply because we have people on top of each other."
Courtesy Eric Vaughn
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The Suez Canal block could hit 'downstream' manufacturers the hardest

by Kai Ryssdal and Sean McHenry
Mar 24, 2021
A container ship blocking the Suez Canal since Tuesday evening underscores the fragility of the global supply chain.
Cargo ships seen in the Suez Canal in 2019.
Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Images
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Tweets are selling for millions as NFTs. We decided to see what all the buzz is about.

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban
Mar 24, 2021
Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal and Andrew CM from Valuables by Cent experiment with turning a tweet into a non-fungible token.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey in 2019.
David Becker/Getty Images
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COVID-19

Washington apple farmer is "optimistic" as workers get vaccinated

by Kai Ryssdal , Andie Corban and Minju Park
Mar 19, 2021
“They are on the front lines of the food production industry in this country," said Patrick Smith, who runs Loftus Ranches.
"I’m really hopeful that when we get to our harvest season, globally, things are really looking up," says Patrick Smith, whose family runs Loftus Ranches, an apple and hops farm in Yakima, Washington.
Photo by Johannes Simon/Getty Images
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The pandemic has been especially damaging to working moms

by Kai Ryssdal , Daisy Palacios and Andie Corban
Mar 18, 2021
Employment for women may not recover to pre-pandemic levels until 2024 — two years after a recovery for men.
Photo by Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images
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United States of Work

For small-business owners, “it’s just never-ending”

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
Mar 17, 2021
An independent hairstylist reflects on her newfound respect for small-business ownership after a year on her own.
Hairstylist Ashley Nelson’s private suite in downtown Boise, Idaho. She's looking to grow and bring people with her.
Courtesy of Ashley Nelson
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