Latvia Weekly

"Nomazgāt" (wash) is the Latvian word of the week now that washing your hands is more important than ever with the COVID-19 novel coronavirus making its first confirmed appearance in Latvia. Otto and Joe discuss the implications of this story along with the first major Rīga city council election polling results, a bungled attempt at international espionage, and what looks like closure to the Kristīne Misāne affair.

Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission

Weather theme:

Smooth Jazz (am) by Backing Track Ninja

Source: backingtrackninja.bandcamp.com/track/smo…h-jazz-am

Izglītība (education) is our word of the week, as three of Joe's media students join him to discuss the news of the week with Otto hard at work away in Israel.

Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission

Weather theme:

Smooth Jazz (am) by Backing Track Ninja

Source: backingtrackninja.bandcamp.com/track/smo…h-jazz-am

"Vētra" ("storm" is the Latvian word of the week. While the storm "Dennis" continues to menace most of continential Europe, the gathering storm clouds have finally burst above the recently dismissed Rīga City council. Otto and Joe discuss the implications of these stories along with other topics such as President Levits' proposed reduction of non-EU TV content, an interesting new look for Latvian trains, oil pollution in the River Venta, dramatic updates in the Kristīne Misāne case, and much more!

"Tiešraide" is the Latvian word of the week as Otto and Joe "go live" for the first time ever and discuss major stories such as Mayor Burovs' acceptance of early elections, Aldis Gobzems' potential new party, a "soda tax," more drama with Denmark, and Latvia's unexpected role in Donald Trump's investigation of Hunter Biden.

Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission

Weather theme:

Smooth Jazz (am) by Backing Track Ninja

Source: backingtrackninja.bandcamp.com/track/smo…h-jazz-am

With Otto and Olevs on the road again as part of their work with the Baltic Security Foundation, Elizabete Dreimane once again joins Joe in Jelgava to discuss domestic issues such as the increasingly convoluted political soap opera that Rīga City Council has become, more trouble for former ABLV board members and employees, Latvia's gender wage gap, and much more!

"Notumse" ("blackout") has been chosen by the Riga Latvian Society as the "word of the year," as chances of Mayor Olegs Burovs holding onto power look increasingly dim. Otto and Joe discuss the latest on Rīga City Council's game of thrones as well as Prime Minister Kariņš' first year in office, another ABLV Bank bombshell, Latvia's response to the Wuhan coronavirus, the surprising new head of the Latvian Basketball Association, and a somber remembrance of 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz.

Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission

Weather theme:

Smooth Jazz (am) by Backing Track Ninja

Source: backingtrackninja.bandcamp.com/track/smo…h-jazz-am

"Samazināt" is unfortunately our Latvian word of the week, as Latvijas dzelzceļš announces major workforce reductions as well as a decrease in the amount of rail cargo over the last few years. Otto and Olevs join Joe in Jelgava to discuss the fallout from this news as well as the importance of constitutional changes in neighboring Russia, a mixed economic outlook for 2020, irresponsible visitors to Latvia's forests, and more bobsleigh glory for the legendary Mārtiņš Dukurs.

Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission

As the walls continue to crash around Mayor Burovs' fragile coalition, Mr. Burovs has sent the walls literally crashing down in one of Rīga Central Market's most notorious sections. Otto and Joe discuss this watershed moment in the history of Centrāltirgus along with Artuss Kaimiņš' final exit from the KPV LV party he founded, a showdown between environmentalists and the logging industry over proposed looser regulations, an international family legal drama, and much more!

Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission

Weather theme:

Smooth Jazz (am) by Backing Track Ninja

Source: backingtrackninja.bandcamp.com/track/smo…h-jazz-am

"Klusums" is our Latvian word of the week, with the news cycle unusually quiet here in Latvia compared with the rest of the world's head-spinning past few days. Otto and Joe talk through a few major domestic stories and updates before getting into Latvia's connection with some of the recent major international events, and also call to Sophia in Ventspils to discuss the unusually warm weather and life in the beach city's "quiet" off-season.

Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission

Weather theme:

Smooth Jazz (am) by Backing Track Ninja

Source: backingtrackninja.bandcamp.com/track/smo…h-jazz-am

Kristaps Andrejsons is a man on a mission to tell the west the true story of not just what happened in the Soviet Union, but what's happening in the region today. His "The Eastern Border" podcast has attracted hundreds of thousands of listeners and become his primary source of income, but such success has also lead to death threats that have cost him relationships, and a journey that has brought him to some of the most dangerous places in the world, and into contact with people's heartbreaking personal stories. Joe sits down with him first at Jelgava's "Flower Power" cafe and then outside the railway station to discuss topics such as Soviet history's most important lessons, the west's and east's greatest misunderstandings about one another, and how the Latvia of today might be remembered by historians of tomorrow.