Latvia Weekly

Happy first day of school to Latvia's students and teachers! In honor of the new year, Joe is joined by one of his new colleagues and two of his media club students at Jelgava Spidola State Gymnaisum to discuss some of the changes taking place in education this year, as well as the top stories of the week including a new step towards municipal reform, fire safety violations, and a list by CNN of the top 11 destinations to see in Latvia. Start the new school year right, and don't be late for the bell!

Opening and closing music by Anna Veisa

Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia celebrate 30 years since the important "Baltic Way" protest against Soviet occupation while Rīga inaugurates its third(!) mayor of 2019, PNB Bank's owner sues to stay open, and the Kariņš government tepidly supports Minister of Education Ilga Šuplinska (JKP) in her ongoing conflict with the University of Latvia. Otto and Joe not only discuss these stories and more, but also check in with correspondent Kris Akenfelds to see how his first month living in Liepāja has gone.

Opening and closing music by Anna Veisa

Weather theme:

Smooth Jazz (am) by Backing Track Ninja

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

Joe and Otto are back in Rīga to celebrate the annual city festival and discuss the ECB's sudden closure of PNB Bank (formerly Norvik) as well as major updates to long-running stories such as the road to a new Mayor of Rīga, a compromise in regional reform, increased heat in the showdown between the University of Latvia and Minister of Education Ilga Šuplinska, and much more!

Opening and closing music by Anna Veisa

Weather theme:

Smooth Jazz (am) by Backing Track Ninja

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

The Holocaust will always be one of the darkest chapters of Latvian history, and it is up to historians like Richards Plavnieks, Assistant Professor of History at Florida Southern College, to chronicle this painful period. Joe sits down with Dr. Plavnieks to discuss his work studying the infamous "Arājs Kommando" as well as his experiences growing up as a Latvian-American on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

With time ticking before an August 20th deadline set by opposition parties, in which Rīga City Council must agree upon a new mayor or face extraordinary elections, former Mayor Nils Ušakovs phones in from Brussels with an offer that key independent councillors seem eager to refuse. Joe and Otto discuss potential stalemate-breaking scenarios as well as a scandal-plagued bridge, a showdown over the University of Latvia rector's election, a major win for Latvian beach volleyball, and a fake will scandal straight out of Latvian soap operas.

Otto has returned to Latvia to celebrate a major anniversary with Joe! No, not the show's 40th episode, but the 100th birthday of Latvijas Dzelceļš, the country's rail authority! Other topics of discussion include major updates to the Kariņš government's plans, a drought in the south of Kurzeme, a new US ambassador to Latvia, and a bridge that belongs to no one in desperate need of repairs.

Opening and closing music by Anna Veisa

Weather theme:

Smooth Jazz (am) by Backing Track Ninja

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

After 58 days and over 1500 km of cycling, Latvian-Australian Kris Akenfelds has brought his journey across Latvia to a close and joins Joe once again in Jelgava to tell stories from the eastern half of his journey as well as some of his major takeaways from spending summer all throughout the Latvian countryside.

Photo Credit: Ivo Kruusamägi

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lake_Al%C5%ABksne.jpg

Opening and closing music:

Bicycle - Reunited by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-fre…isrc=USUAN1100870

Artist: incompetech.com/

With Otto and Olevs still away in America, recently returned cross-country cyclist and regular contributor Kris Akenfelds sits down with Joe to discuss more trouble at Latvijas Radio, the country-wide blocking of a Russian news portal, countryside residents' opinions of regional reform, and whether to regulate parking of the newly popular electric scooters.

With debate season in full swing back in his home country of America, Joe sat down this week with Latvian Debate Association "Quo Tu Domā?" board members Rasmuss Filips Geks and Edgars Klētnieks to discuss bringing critical thinking to the classroom, building logical arguments, evaluating information sources and much more. Take a break from arguing with your Facebook friends for an hour to listen in and improve your debating skills today!

Opening and closing music by Austra Apsīte

As the New Conservative Party (JKP) signals that their willingness to cooperate with the rest of the Kariņš government coalition is running low, the government searches for a solution to the Latvian Radio funding crisis. Otto phones in from Washington DC to discuss these topics with Joe and much more, including a possible rise to minimum wage, a Latvian national being held captive by Iran, and great news for Latvia's rail network. All this, plus a final check-in from Latvian-Australian cross-country cyclist Kris Akenfelds — don't miss it!

Opening and closing music by Anna Veisa

Weather theme:

Smooth Jazz (am) by Backing Track Ninja

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