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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.

Latest Stories (5,770)

A pragmatic response to climate change

Oct 26, 2009
Author Stewart Brand's "Whole Earth Catalog" offered readers a vision of returning to the land in order to live sustainably. Kai Ryssdal talks to Brand about his latest book, which tackles climate change using a somewhat different tone.

Publishing according to Klosterman

Oct 26, 2009
In his new book, "Eating The Dinosaur," author Chuck Klosterman covers everything from America's relationship with Abba to why laugh tracks are offensive. He talks to Kai Ryssdal about the art and business of publishing.

Why "350" is key to global warming

Oct 23, 2009
Environmentalist Bill McKibben, one of the first authors to write extensively about climate change, talks with Kai Ryssdal about Saturday's International Day of Climate Action and why "350" is the magic number for global warming.

Weekly Wrap: Rolling down the fiscal cliff

Oct 23, 2009
Leigh Gallagher of Fortune Magazine and Mike Mandel of Businessweek join Kai Ryssdal in discussing the cutting of executive's compensation at bailed-out companies and other business news of the week.

Getting deep into 'SuperFreakonomics'

Oct 22, 2009
In "Freakonomics," journalist Stephen Dubner and economist Steven Leavitt explored economics and human behavior. Kai Ryssdal talks to the two about their sequel, which applies the law of unintended consequences to prostitutes and global warming.

Is free KFC chicken worth a long wait?

Oct 22, 2009
After attempting a free grilled chicken dinner giveaway in May, Kentucky Fried Chicken is trying it again, hoping for better results. Kai Ryssdal talks to Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch, who attended the first chicken run.

It helps to know the rules on Wall St.

Oct 21, 2009
There are always interesting things to learn about how Wall Street really works. Senior business correspondent Bob Moon talks to Kai Ryssdal about the "whisper number" and tells a story about a candy drive he had in high school.

When the Dow is up, news is down

Oct 20, 2009
You might think that when the Dow Jones Industrial Average is climbing, news coverage would increase too. But that's not what a study found from the Pew Center's Project for Excellence In Journalism.

Comments from our listeners

Oct 20, 2009
Listeners let us know what they think of our coverage of checkout-line charity, Detroit supermarkets, New York City's Garment District, "The Tao of Wu" and shock advertising.

Merging new music with good business

Oct 20, 2009
No independent music label has done more to bring a lot of bands from obscurity to the top of the college charts than Merge Records. It was started 20 by two punk rockers, Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. They talk with Kai Ryssdal.