The Good Morning Portugal! podcast with Carl Munson

With midterm elections approaching, the Carl and Veronica discuss how polarised politics has made many people avoid political talk, even though learning comes from listening to different views. 
They highlight the Ground News app for comparing many sources, political leanings, factuality, and “blind spots,” and reflect on how journalism has shifted from striving for objectivity and strict ethics to opinion-driven, entertainment-focused commentary competing for attention. 
Veronica shares experiences from early newsroom convergence and police-beat reporting to illustrate how human limitations and demographics shape story selection.
They argue for considering sources, watching unedited footage (e.g., C-SPAN), and resisting sensationalism and extremism. The conversation turns to Portugal, debating whether media should disclose nationalities in crime reporting, and warning expats that slander and libel can bring civil or criminal penalties and even visa consequences.


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On Wednesday 30th September 2026, Carl Munson’s Good Morning Portugal! news notes that it is an interesting day in Portuguese history and leads with the deepening housing crisis: mortgage payments face their steepest rise in three years after October rate revisions, while national rents have jumped 10.2% year-on-year.



Other headlines include nationwide flu and COVID vaccination campaigns launching today, a proposed network to support independent yoga teachers, the APA saying healthy Algarve water reserves do not justify slowing investment, Faro Hospital reaching 100 robotic surgeries, Portimão outlining its tourism future through 2035, and Michael Jordan appearing at the SBC summit in Lisbon to discuss technology, sports, fandom and betting.



Weather is cooler and unsettled after overnight rain, with Lisbon around 25°C.



#GoodMorningPortugal #PortugalNews #HousingCrisis #MortgageRates #Rents #Vaccination #FaroHospital #Portimao #MichaelJordan #Portugal2026


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‘Playing with fire’ budget, brilliant (not) bookshop & innovation paradox; weather & currency (<3mins)



On Tuesday 29th September 2026, Carl Munson’s Good Morning Portugal! news reports tensions in the government after the first state-budget negotiations, plus the expansion of the green rail pass to major urban networks.



Other headlines include Vilamoura Marina being named Superyacht Marina of the Year 2026, Cristiano Ronaldo being benched for the third time in his career during Sunday’s win over Norway, an “innovation paradox” in which private investment fails to match public support, Algarve unions calling a Portimão protest over the soaring cost of living, and an AIMA roadshow on migrant-community integration in Sines.



Weather stays overcast with possible thunderstorms; Lisbon is forecast at 25°C.



The show also looks back at yesterday’s visit to Cascais and Indie Not A Bookshop, now confirmed as a monthly special guest.


#GoodMorningPortugal #PortugalNews #StateBudget #GreenRailPass #VilamouraMarina #CristianoRonaldo #PortimaoProtest #Cascais #IndieNotABookshop #Portugal2026


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On Monday 28th September 2026, Carl Munson’s Good Morning Portugal! news highlights tonight’s talk with author Tim Richardson at Indie ("Not a Bookshop") in Cascais, plus the Portuguese book market reaching a three-year high. 
Other headlines include the 17th Sagres Birdwatching Festival (2–5 October), 14 passengers treated for smoke inhalation after a Delta flight to Boston made an emergency landing in Porto, yellow thunderstorm warnings for seven districts, environmental group ZERO warning about rivers and aquifers, 40 companies testing technology with the Portuguese Army, and Carvoeira testing a new method against invasive algae. 
After the heatwave, temperatures ease but thunderstorms are possible.
#GoodMorningPortugal #PortugalNews #ExpatBookClub #TimRichardson #NicholasTrant #SagresBirdwatching #PortoAirport #Thunderstorms #Portugal2026

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On Friday 25th September 2026, Carl Munson’s Good Morning Portugal! news previews afpop Expo returning to Portimão Arena in October, with CEO Daisy Sampson joining as guest. 
Other headlines include Lisbon launching a sterile-mosquito trial to curb disease-carrying insects, AIMA immigration agency staff announcing a nationwide 24-hour strike on 6th October, the government again urging people to cut fuel use, Eurofighter presenting a proposal to replace Portugal’s F-16s, the “final curtain” at the Sines oil refinery, and more than 400 trucks staging a go-slow protest against record diesel prices. 
After the heatwave, temperatures ease a little, with Lisbon at 28°C and Évora still 33°C.
GoodMorningPortugal, AFPOPExpo, Portimao, DaisySamson, FuelProtest, ImmigrationStrike, LisbonMosquitoes, Sines, Portugal2026

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On Thursday 24th September 2026, Carl Munson’s Good Morning Portugal! news reports Portugal’s electric-vehicle market surging with Tesla leading the growth, while diesel has hit a record €2.21 per litre. 
Other headlines include the Maritime Police seizing 2,000 litres of fuel and a vehicle in Cacilhas, the Public Prosecutor searching Judiciary Police premises, employment figures masking structural challenges, three navy servicemen facing charges over state secrets, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro criticising fuel-price hikes at a UN climate event, the Oeiras mayor proposing an Olympic bid for Jamor, and the government again assuring that fuel reserves are sufficient. 
The heatwave continues, with Lisbon at 33°C and Évora 36°C. Guest Colin Ross Jones joins to discuss the future for petrolheads.
GoodMorningPortugal, PortugalNews, FuelPrices, ElectricVehicles, Tesla, Diesel, ColinRossJones, Heatwave, Portugal2026


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Starlink link - https://starlink.com/gb?referral=RC-DF-10309716-18550-92 😉
This clip discusses a major telecoms disruption in Portugal that was reported as mainly affecting MEO, with the operator stating it was caused by a “mass attack” that congested and degraded international connectivity while insisting no customer data was accessed or compromised. 
At the 18:30 peak, DownDetector logged about 7,000 MEO fault reports versus 358 for NOS and 237 for Vodafone, suggesting a MEO-specific incident despite early reports of broader impact, though one tech outlet questioned whether an internal routing failure and unusual BGP activity could be involved. 
The host recommends having a backup connection such as a hotspot on another network and links the outage to renewed attention on Portugal’s 72-hour household emergency kit guidance from ANEPC, including first aid supplies, medication, nine litres of water per person, non-perishable food, radio, torch, power bank, cash, and copies of key documents, referencing memories of the April 25 Iberian blackout and sharing ungrid.eu as a resource.
SWAT Portuguese guide - https://www.skool.com/gmp-vips-1236/is-your-portuguese-like-the-internet-yesterday-patchy
00:00 Internet Outage Check In
00:20 Mayo Mass Attack Claims
00:55 DownDetector Numbers
02:04 Routing Failure Theory
02:41 Why You Need Backups
04:07 Portugal 72 Hour Kit
04:34 Radios Cash And Humour
05:23 Blackout Lessons And Resources


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This morning show episode questions recent AI headlines urging a slowdown, arguing AI firms are unlikely to pause and may be managing PR, calming public perception, or creating excuses for missed targets and losses, while doubting effective regulation without extreme control. 
Carl asserts AI itself is a benign tool and the real danger is human “wicked intent,” citing Tolstoy’s “The wicked grow bold as they are tolerated.” 
The discussion briefly shifts to Portugal’s taxes, minimum wage implications, and the necessity of cars for many people amid fuel costs. It then covers Portugal’s government-funded language model AMALIA, intended as a language model not a chatbot, which produced bizarre hallucinations - inventing a prime minister, rewriting World Cup history, and claiming butterbeer is a Madeiran national drink, alongside a CEO’s Fiat Panda metaphor and reassurance that public errors help improve future versions.
00:00 AI Doom Headlines
00:16 Why Firms Say Slow Down
01:42 Regulation and Watchdogs
02:15 Wicked Intent Not AI
03:17 Fuel Duty and Car Needs
05:26 Portugal AI Model Amalia
06:24 Hype Versus Reality
08:53 AMALIA Hallucination Reel
10:26 Fiat Panda Defence
12:00 Butterbeer Finale


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The episode introduces a new “Portuguese humor” module in a language-learning “special ops” approach, encouraging learners to ask Portuguese people for a joke (“Conta-me uma anedota”), admit confusion (“Não percebi”), and use humour to build cultural fluency beyond vocabulary. 
It highlights why jokes are hard in a second language (wordplay, timing, cultural context), shares suggested comedians (Herman José, Raul Solnado, Gato Fedorento/Ricardo Araújo Pereira, Joana Marques), and teaches key terms like anedota, piada, trocadilho, humorista, and ter piada. 
Carl also tells a series of Alentejano-style jokes and plays AI-generated humorous sketches about “the Portuguese female” and “the Portuguese male,” before closing with show links, upcoming segments, and weekend plans...
Get the humour module here - https://www.skool.com/gmp-vips-1236/classroom/32c78196?md=88b5da5a86684edca9727fae6a56de95
00:00 Module Overview
00:25 Portuguese Humour Mission
01:52 Key Humor Vocabulary
02:31 Live Chat and Links
04:22 AI Skit Portuguese Female
08:12 Alentejo as Joke Target
10:09 Alentejano Joke Set
14:33 Duck and Lawyer Finale
16:52 Wrap Up and Weekend Plans
17:36 AI Skit Portuguese Male
20:38 A Team Call to Action


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On Wednesday 23rd September 2026, Carl Munson’s Good Morning Portugal! news warns of a Friday truck protest against fuel prices that will affect the A1, A41 and A42. 
Other headlines include Spain’s tougher stance on data centres possibly pushing investment into Portugal, a tribute to singer-songwriter Jorge Palma after his death at 76, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro forecasting a surplus and growth above the European average while pitching state reform to Wall Street, and the construction sector warning that diesel prices threaten ongoing projects. 
The heatwave continues, with Lisbon at 33°C and Évora 37°C. 
Guests from Raw Sintra Biltong and Barak's Breaks join after the news.
#GoodMorningPortugal #PortugalNews #TruckProtest #FuelPrices #JorgePalma #LuisMontenegro #DataCenters #Heatwave #RawSintra #Portugal2026 

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