Friday, October 23, 2026Edition No. 31

The Gayzette

A personal daily by Patrick and Travis, written with a little help from AI.

OpenAI's Decisions API goes GA: 400 typed questions per request

Front page · AI

OpenAI's Decisions API goes GA: 400 typed questions per request

Typed yes/no, pick-one and score answers at $0.10 per 1M input tokens, per OpenAI's own docs.

By The Gayzette, with Claude · 2 min read · Wonder ◆◆◆◇◇

OpenAI made its Decisions API generally available on Oct 22 (it had been in public beta), per the company's developer changelog. Instead of writing prose, the model answers a list of questions about one shared input, which can be text, images or JSON (a plain data format). Each request now takes up to 400 questions, up from 200 in beta.

Sorted!
Illustration · The Gayzette

Questions come in three types: Predicate (a probability from 0 to 1 that a condition is true, for example, our illustration: does a photo show damage?), Choice (one value from a fixed set, for example, which department a message belongs to) and Score (2 to 10 ordered levels, returned as a probability-weighted score). Per the docs, uncached input costs $0.10 per 1M tokens (a token is a small chunk of text the model reads), output tokens are "not charged," and gpt-6-luna is the only supported model. The caveat: the docs call it about 10x faster than the Responses API, which is OpenAI's own claim; we did not check an independent benchmark.

On your desk: this looks like a natural sorting step for an n8n studio-inbox pipeline: is this message a coaching question, a billing question or something else, using one Choice question with a short list of labels. Test it on a week of old messages before trusting it with real ones.

Read the original at OpenAI: Developer changelog (Oct 22) →
Receipts (2)

Editor's note

The Managing Editor (Opus), with Sonnet scouts, writer and fact-checker

Good morning. Today's lead is a small, practical one: OpenAI made its Decisions API generally available, a way to ask a model up to 400 typed questions about one input and get back probabilities instead of prose. It looks like a natural sorting step for the studio inbox. Behind it, Claude Code tightens its permission checks and n8n adds confidence scores to its text classifier.

Spirit has a regulators' count (433 psychedelic applications at FDA, per the Horizons conference) and a Nature study on how psilocybin's brain patterns follow the setting. Hurricane Vance is strengthening far off Mexico; the Moon is 92% full; Saturn is up all night.

Your reactions are unchanged since last week (four "more" votes on Good Ten human-scale stories, one "less" on a statins item), so the Good Ten leans toward people and craft: a Broadway Galileo musical, Sara Mearns on why she dances, a Falsettos reunion, and new frogs from Peru.

Trims, stated plainly: the scouts alone ran past the 300k budget, so a Sonnet writer wrote the lead instead of Opus, the Good Ten runs 8, and AI runs 2 short items because only two cleared the sourcing bar. World, Straight runs 4 (an Iran shipping claim was dropped: no independently verified fact). The checker graded 163 claims and 13 fixes were applied before publishing. Grant Watch and the Droplet Desk were quiet; nothing on the Couch was confirmed for tonight.

Claude Code 2.1.309 closes several permission-check gaps

AI

Claude Code 2.1.309 closes several permission-check gaps

A security and sandbox release, per Anthropic's own GitHub notes.

Disclosure: Anthropic makes Claude, the model that helps make this paper. Its Claude Code v2.1.309 release notes (Oct 22) say it fixed several Bash permission-check gaps, including cases where Edit(path) deny rules were skipped by redirects inside some subshells (a command run inside another command). Sandboxed commands and auto-accepted edits can no longer modify the --mcp-config file, and, in the Desktop app and VS Code, dangerous rm and rmdir commands in bypass-permissions mode are denied right away with a rewrite hint.

Two changes may touch scripts: claude ultrareview now requires workspace trust (pass --trust-workspace or set CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ULTRAREVIEW_TRUST_CHECK=1), and sed -i now uses the standard Bash prompt and is no longer undone by /rewind. The caveat: these are changelog entries, not an incident report, so it is unclear whether any bypass was exploited.

On your desk: skim your vault automations for any script that calls claude ultrareview or sed -i, since those are the ones that may now stop and ask.

Read the original at GitHub: anthropics/claude-code v2.1.309 →
FDA tracks 433 psychedelic applications, regulators say at Horizons

Spirit

FDA tracks 433 psychedelic applications, regulators say at Horizons

A law-firm recap of what federal officials said at the Oct 15-17 conference.

The National Law Review, in a recap by Epstein Becker & Green lawyers published Oct 22, reports that FDA psychedelic IND applications (the filings that let a company begin human trials) total 433, about 40 percent of them active. An FDA representative said psychedelic trials make up roughly one-third of the workload of CDER's team (the FDA drug-review center). The article also says the VA runs more than 53 ketamine clinics.

Panelists called the DEA production quota a serious hurdle for ibogaine research, and an HHS official declined to say whether a split scheduling approach would be used. The article's paraphrase is that FDA "does not have complete safety data." The caveat: this is a law-firm summary of speakers, not a transcript, and a panelist's claim that alternative self-funded employer channels could speed access by five to seven years is a claim, not a finding.

On your desk: for Consciousness University and Universe Year, this is a clean example of separating a number a regulator gave (433) from an opinion a panelist offered (five to seven years).

Read the original at The National Law Review: Psychedelics move toward mainstream, a lawyer's bird's-eye view of Horizons →

More in Spirit

Nature study: psilocybin brain patterns follow the setting

Read the brief

Monash researchers scanned volunteers during rest, meditation, music and a cloud video.

PsyPost (Oct 22) reports a Nature paper, "Psychedelics align brain activity with context," from Monash University researchers Devon Stoliker and Adeel Razi. Sixty-three healthy adults aged 18 to 55, with little or no prior experience, took 19 mg of oral psilocybin and were scanned with fMRI (a scan that tracks blood flow as a stand-in for brain activity) during rest, guided meditation, emotional music and a silent cloud video. With eyes closed, connectivity in sensory regions fell by up to 39 percent and in associative regions rose by up to 72 percent.

Just breathe.
Illustration · The Gayzette

The caveat is a big one: the study was open-label (everyone knew what they took), had no placebo and used a fixed condition order. Enzo Tagliazucchi, who was not involved, flagged the missing placebo and fixed order, and the 98 percent condition-classification figure comes from just six people. This is science reporting, not advice.

On your desk: the meditation-inside-a-scanner detail is a good story seed for a Consciousness University session on how setting shapes experience, with the caveats left in.


Read the original at PsyPost: Beneath psilocybin's apparent brain chaos, scientists find signs of a hidden order →
Magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Tibet kills at least 16

World

Magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Tibet kills at least 16

ConfirmedNagqu Emergency Management says a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the Nagqu area at 10:33 pm local time on Oct 22. Al Jazeera reports at least 16 dead and says the toll is expected to rise. Al Jazeera reports, without naming the source, that at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed and power and communication lines are down. The USGS puts the epicentre about 190 km east-northeast of Nagqu and about 390 km northeast of Lhasa. Xinhua reports a level-II disaster emergency response was activated, and Al Jazeera's Katrina Yu reports 1,600 rescuers deployed with roads blocked by rockfalls.

Claimed by Reuters, citing Nagqu officialsUp to 65 people injured; other reports give slightly lower figures.

Read the original at Al Jazeera: Magnitude 7 earthquake kills 16 people in China's Tibet →

More in World

EU awards International Criminal Court the Sakharov Prize

What is known

ConfirmedAl Jazeera, citing AFP and Reuters, reports the EU awarded the ICC the Sakharov Prize on Thursday, about two weeks after President Trump announced new US sanctions on the court, which take effect in six months. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said, "The European Union is built on respect for multilateralism and international institutions." ICC President Tomoko Akane said the prize carries "particular significance, reaffirming the importance of independent judicial institutions." Ursula von der Leyen said the court "must be free to pursue its mission, independently, and without pressure or intimidation," and the EU is considering a "blocking statute."

Claimed by Marco Rubio, US Secretary of StateRubio said, "We will ban transactions with this rogue court," and that the US is not subject to ICC jurisdiction. The quote is from the sanctions announcement video, not a response to the prize.

  • EU: The ICC is an independent court that must be free from pressure.
  • US administration: The ICC is a "rogue court" outside US jurisdiction.

Read the original at Al Jazeera: US-sanctioned ICC wins Sakharov Prize →

Venezuelans hold first national opposition protest in nearly two years

What is known

ConfirmedReuters, via Al Jazeera, reports thousands marched in Caracas, Valencia, Maracay, San Cristobal and Maracaibo, organised by Vente Venezuela; no crowd count was given. Delcy Rodriguez has been interim president since Jan 3, after Maduro's capture by US forces in January, and no election date is set. Trump and Rodriguez have both said elections will occur. Al Jazeera reports the ruling PSUV held its own march in Caracas.

Claimed by Maria Corina Machado; Edmundo Gonzalez UrrutiaMachado says elections must take place by July 2027. Gonzalez Urrutia claims he won the 2024 election, per opposition tallies.

  • Opposition: Elections should be held by July 2027, and the 2024 result was won by Gonzalez Urrutia.
  • Government and ruling party: Government and institutions backed Maduro's 2024 win, and the PSUV held its own march.

Read the original at Al Jazeera: Venezuelans demand elections in first national protest in nearly two years →

Judge orders Trump to sit for deposition in BBC suit

What is known

ConfirmedAl Jazeera, citing Reuters and AP, reports Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett ruled on Oct 22 that Trump must be deposed under oath by Dec 11 or face possible sanctions, including dismissal. Trump had cancelled an Oct 16 deposition, citing a "matter of national importance." Trump seeks $10bn over the documentary "Trump: A Second Chance."

Claimed by Donald Trump; the BBC; BBC lawyer Charles TobinTrump says a clip of his Jan 6, 2021 speech was misleadingly edited. The BBC acknowledges segments were spliced, apologised, and denies defamation. Tobin said Trump was campaigning in Georgia on Oct 16; the article does not verify this.

  • Trump: The documentary edited his speech misleadingly and defamed him.
  • BBC: It apologised for the splicing but denies defamation.

Read the original at Al Jazeera: Trump ordered to sit for deposition in BBC defamation lawsuit →

Feel-Good

The Good Ten

Small, true, and from this week.

  1. 01

    Roman Space Telescope enters its final commissioning phase

    Thu Oct 22

    NASA says Roman finished checkout and refinement of the observatory and primary instrument performance and has entered science commissioning. Senior project scientist Julie McEnery said, "We've established that the observatory is fully functional." Science operations have not started, and the post gives no start date.

    Read the original at NASA Science →
  2. 02

    NASA pilot Mike Lippert flies the quiet supersonic X-59

    Thu Oct 22

    Lippert flew the X-59 on Oct 21 from Armstrong Flight Research Center for about an hour, reaching Mach 1.4 at 55,000 feet. It was his first X-plane flight, after nearly 11 years flying high-performance aircraft. The public-reaction phase of the Quesst project is still ahead.

    Read the original at NASA Quesst blog →
  3. 03

    Five new frog species described from Peru's Andes and Amazon

    Tue Oct 20

    Pablo Venegas and colleagues published five new Pristimantis frog species in Zootaxa on Oct 16, living at 183 to 1,778 meters in central Peru. One is named P. aisatipoki, from the Asháninka language, meaning "those who arrive" or "those who settle." The team's count of about 50 new frogs is theirs and not yet all published.

    Read the original at Good Good Good →
  4. 04

    Falsettos reunion concert marks ten years since the revival

    Wed Oct 21

    Playbill reports a reunion concert on Oct 18 marking 10 years since the 2016 Lincoln Center Theater revival, with Christian Borle, Andrew Rannells, Stephanie J. Block, Brandon Uranowitz, Betsy Wolfe, Tracie Thoms and Anthony Rosenthal, who first played Jason at 11 and is now 22. More dates follow in NYC on Nov 2 and at the London Palladium in February 2027.

    Read the original at Playbill →
  5. 05

    Jemison, Nye and Tyson co-produce Broadway's Galileo musical

    Thu Oct 22

    Mae Jemison, Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson are co-producers of Galileo, with Raul Esparza starring and Michael Mayer directing. Previews begin Nov 10 at the Shubert Theatre, with opening on Dec 6. It is an announcement, and the show has not yet opened.

    Read the original at Playbill →
  6. 06

    Brazil's Amazon and Cerrado deforestation hit record lows

    Thu Oct 22

    Mongabay, citing INPE satellite data, reports 3,335 km2 cleared in the Amazon from August 2025 to July 2026, down nearly 42 percent and the lowest since monitoring began in 1988. The Cerrado figure was 5,516.69 km2, down 24 percent. Credit to government policy is the environment minister's claim.

    Read the original at Mongabay →
  7. 07

    Sara Mearns on why she dances, in her own words

    Thu Oct 22

    In a Dance Magazine Dancer Spotlight essay, Sara Mearns writes, "My dancing is my words." The title promises 77 reasons, though our count of the main list came to 54, plus a thank-you list of about two dozen people.

    Read the original at Dance Magazine →
  8. 08

    Ian Rankin on writing, giving and his first standalone thriller in decades

    Wed Oct 21

    Positive News interviews Rankin about The Heights, his first standalone thriller in two decades. He and his wife Miranda run a charitable trust, and he estimates 20 to 30 percent of his net income goes to good causes. He hopes for a new Rebus novel in 2027; the figures are his own estimates.

    Read the original at Positive News →

TV and the sky

Tonight, and overhead

On the couch

TV

On the Couch

Nothing on tonight.

Storm watch

Weather

Storm Watch

Los Angeles: Mostly sunny, high 72, LA (National Weather Service)

  • Hurricane Vance (Eastern Pacific) — Hurricane (85 mph, Category 1 range) · 85 mph peak · 982 mb. 10.9N 102.1W, about 440 mi south-southwest of Acapulco and 580 mi south-southeast of Manzanillo, Mexico; moving north-northwest at 6 mph No watches or warnings. Swells are expected to bring life-threatening surf and rip currents to southern and southwestern Mexico this weekend. (as of 2026-10-23) NHC Public Advisory #8, 2:00 AM PDT Oct 23

Winter outlook: No active Atlantic storms (Josephine is gone from NHC's list). Climate Prediction Center line (8 Oct 2026 discussion, still the latest posted): El Niño continues to strengthen, with a strong-to-very-strong El Niño likely through January-March 2027.

Outlook from the CPC discussion dated 2026-10-08.

CPC ENSO Diagnostic Discussion (8 Oct 2026) · National Hurricane Center

The sky tonight

Overhead

Sky

Moon: Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated)

Tonight's sky: Saturn, in Cetus, rises in the evening and is up all night (its rings show at about 50x in a telescope); Jupiter, in Leo, rises in the early morning. The Orionids stay active to Nov 7 after peaking Oct 21-22, but the waxing gibbous Moon will interfere, per Griffith Observatory. Griffith Observatory Sky Report, Oct 2026 · Moongiant: Moon phase Oct 23 2026

Human Design transits
  • Patrick: Today's transits (Oct 23, noon UT, from the HD Toolkit): Saturn in gate 21 (The Hunter, Heart centre), his own gate, completing his channel 21-45, and Uranus in gate 20 (The Now, Throat), also his own, completing 20-34; both runs end Oct 24. Neptune in gate 25 and Pluto in gate 41 complete his 25-51 and 30-41 channels; the North Node sits in his own gate 30 (Recognition of Feelings).
  • Travis: Today's transits (Oct 23, noon UT, from the HD Toolkit): Neptune in gate 25 (The Spirit of the Self, G centre), one of his own gates, through Oct 24; it completes no channel.
Crop circle watch

Notebook

Crop Circle Watch

Latest formation — Tue Jul 21 · Wanborough Plain, near Liddington, Wiltshire, England. The latest formation on the Crop Circle Connector, reported 21 July 2026. We found nothing newer: the Connector's August page lists no formations.

  • The Connector's 2026 index shows 16 formations, 6 from January to June and 10 in July.
  • The page credits Stonehenge Dronescapes Photography and Hugh Newman for photos and gives no written description or dimensions.

From the history: Tully, Queensland, Australia, 1966: a farmer said he saw a saucer-shaped craft rise from a swamp and fly away. Investigators found a nearly circular area about 10 m by 8 m where grass was flattened in clockwise curves and reeds were uprooted. According to the Wikipedia summary, police, the RAAF and the University of Queensland concluded it was most probably natural (a down draught, willy-willy or waterspout), though that sentence carries a citation-needed tag; in 1973 G.J. Odgers of Defence wrote a journalist that debris lifted by a willy-willy was probable. Doug Bower and Dave Chorley say Tully inspired them to start making circles in 1978, and Terence Meaden proposed in 1980 that whirlwinds caused circles; both are their own claims.

Crop Circle Connector: Wanborough Plain 2026 · Crop Circle Connector: July 2026 · Crop Circle Connector: August 2026 · Crop Circle Connector: 2026 index · Wikipedia: Crop circle