Wednesday, October 28, 2026Edition No. 35

The Gayzette

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

Google ships gemini-api, one command-line tool for coding agents

Front page · AI

Google ships gemini-api, one command-line tool for coding agents

A beta, zero-dependency client that handles images, audio, video, transcription and agent runs from a single binary.

By The Gayzette, with Claude · 1 min read · Wonder ◆◆◆◇◇

Google released gemini-api on Oct 27, a command-line client (a program you run by typing commands) now in beta. The page calls it "a stateless, zero-dependency command-line client" for AI coding agents, scripts and CI pipelines (automated build-and-test runs). One binary, installed by curl, PowerShell or `go install`, covers image, tts (text to speech), music, video, generate, analyze (PDFs, images, audio, video, CSV and public YouTube URLs) and transcribe, plus managed-agent commands such as agent run, status and cancel. It needs only a Gemini API key.

$ gemini-api run> job 1 ... done> job 2 ... doneno clicks!
Illustration · The Gayzette

The caveats are Google's own. It is an open-source beta, and "breaking changes can occur between minor versions," so pin a release in CI. Inline file inputs cap at 14 MB raw, Files API uploads auto-delete after 48 hours, it is not an interactive coding agent, and the page gives no pricing.

On your desk: a Claude Code or Cowork automation could shell out to one command to transcribe a recording or analyze a video, with no SDK code to write. Try it on one small vault chore first.

Read the original at Gemini API CLI guide →
Receipts (2)

Editor's note

The Managing Editor

Good morning. Today's paper has a new command-line tool from Google, a Claude Code fix that matters to your big instruction files, two open models (one for data centers, one for a phone), a small Parkinson's pilot, and a Washington Ballet birthday.

The lead was written by Sonnet this morning, because the Opus lead was dropped for budget; the art is Opus's. The Good Ten runs 8 today for budget. Spirit runs one item: a quiet week, and only one lead was verified. World Straight runs 4, because a markets item was held back for second-hand details.

Reactions are unchanged since mid-October (no beat crossed a threshold), and no beat decisions were saved. The Human Design transits ran from the toolkit. Grant Watch and the Droplet Desk were quiet.

Enjoy the sun.

Claude Code 2.1.312 stops overwriting big CLAUDE.md files

AI

Claude Code 2.1.312 stops overwriting big CLAUDE.md files

The Oct 27 release also fixes skills going missing after a cd, and caps hooks at 24.

Disclosure: Anthropic makes Claude, the model that helps make this paper. Claude Code 2.1.312, released Oct 27, fixed a bug where Claude could overwrite a very large CLAUDE.md (the instructions file it reads at the start) or an @-included file after reading only the start of it.

It also fixed per-directory and `paths:` skills (packaged instructions Claude loads for certain folders) not being found after a Bash `cd` into a repo subdirectory. And it capped prompt and agent hooks (automatic actions that run at set moments) at 24 running at once per session, subagents included. The caveat: our link is the releases list page, not a version-specific page.

On your desk: with the big instruction files in your vault, the overwrite fix is the one to be glad of. If you run many hooks in one session, check you are under 24.

Read the original at GitHub: anthropics/claude-code releases (v2.1.312, 27 Oct) →
Psilocybin lowered inflammation markers in 12 people with Parkinson's

Spirit

Psilocybin lowered inflammation markers in 12 people with Parkinson's

A small open-label pilot in JAMA Psychiatry, reported Oct 21; a starting point, not proof.

This is a small open-label pilot (everyone knew they were getting the drug) of 12 people with Parkinson's disease and mood problems. They got psilocybin in two sessions. Five blood markers of inflammation were significantly lower afterward and stayed lower a month after the last dose. A marker of mitochondrial stress (strain in the cell's power plants) improved right after dosing but not at longer follow-up.

There was no control group, so this is a starting point, and the authors say follow-up studies are needed. Marijuana Moment notes UCSF and Columbia ran it, funded by Silo Pharma and an anonymous donor. This is science reporting, not medical advice or a treatment claim.

On your desk: a tidy receipt for the Consciousness University thread that the field is moving from how psychedelics feel to what they measurably do in the body.

Read the original at OPB / NPR: Study hints at psychedelics' potential to combat inflammation →
Receipts (2)
Israel's election count is incomplete; neither bloc is at 61 of 120 seats

World

Israel's election count is incomplete; neither bloc is at 61 of 120 seats

Confirmedvoting was held Tue 27 Oct. The Central Elections Committee put turnout at 77.7%, the highest since 1999 and up 7.1 points from 2022. With 76% counted (Wed 11:45 local), reported tallies were Netanyahu bloc 54 seats (7 short of a majority), Eisenkot alliance 47, Arab parties 19. Unofficial exit polls (Channels 12 and 13) had each bloc at 51, Likud 27, Eisenkot's Yashar 21. A final tally is expected Friday; official results are due Nov 4.

Claimed by Benjamin Netanyahu, Gadi Eisenkot, Mansour Abbas (Ra'am)Netanyahu says Likud is "the largest party – nobody can compete with us," that the right bloc has "a decisive majority," and that TV channels projected stronger opposition results to discourage his supporters. Eisenkot says "The old era is over, and Israel is starting a new era." Abbas says he hopes final results give the opposition bloc plus his party 61 seats.

  • Netanyahu camp: Describes a right-wing majority and disputes the exit polls.
  • Eisenkot camp: Describes a vote for change.
Read the original at Al Jazeera: Five key takeaways from Israel's parliamentary elections →

More in World

Ebola in DR Congo passes 10,000 confirmed cases

What is known

ConfirmedConfirmed, per the DRC Ministry of Public Health: 10,060 confirmed cases and 4,887 deaths, in 66 health zones across eight provinces. The outbreak, of Bundibugyo virus, was declared 15 May 2026; there is no approved vaccine or treatment, and WHO announced the first vaccine trial on 23 Oct. Al Jazeera calls it the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record, behind West Africa 2014-16 (28,600 infected, over 11,000 dead).

Claimed by Al Jazeera, Africa CDC, WHO, Uganda's Health Minister Chris BaryomunsiAl Jazeera reports about 80% of new cases come from outside monitored transmission chains; Africa CDC says at least 95% must come from known contacts for control. WHO says assailants killed a nurse in Bafwasende, Tshopo province, on Saturday. Baryomunsi announced a 21-day quarantine for returning Ugandans. Al Jazeera reports Kenya has nine confirmed cases, two fatal.


Read the original at Al Jazeera: Ebola cases in DR Congo surpass 10,000 →

Taraba, Nigeria: gunmen attack kills at least 62

What is known

ConfirmedConfirmed by NEMA, the National Emergency Management Agency: at least 62 people were killed in Binnari village, Taraba state, in an attack on Friday by gunmen described as bandits.

Claimed by NEMA Taraba head Ladan Ayuba, police spokesperson Victor Mshelizah, Amnesty International NigeriaAyuba said thousands were displaced. Mshelizah told AP "the more we recover bodies, we will put them in account," and police said the toll could rise. Amnesty International Nigeria said authorities leave rural communities "at the mercy of gunmen" and called for an impartial investigation. Amnesty International Nigeria reported homes, shops, food supplies and motorcycles were set on fire.

  • Police: Describe ongoing body recovery; the toll may rise.
  • Amnesty International Nigeria: Says authorities fail to protect rural communities and calls for an impartial investigation.

Read the original at Al Jazeera: Death toll from attack by gunmen in northeastern Nigeria rises to 62 →

Jordan and Syria reopen Nassib crossing and agree to probe the strikes

What is known

ConfirmedConfirmed, per Al Jazeera: the Nassib crossing reopens Wednesday morning, according to Syria's state agency SANA. The two countries agreed to a committee to investigate the strikes and coordinate intelligence. The Karak church shooting on 23 Oct, claimed by ISIL, now stands at at least nine killed and 34 wounded, with three suspects arrested. Jordan's 26 Oct strikes killed at least seven in Deraa and Suwayda, including five of one family (three children).

Claimed by Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi; DamascusSafadi says the strikes rested on field intelligence and aimed at "neutralising confirmed threats and imminent terrorist operations," and were coordinated with Syria. Jordan's foreign minister also expressed regret for civilian deaths. Damascus says the strikes were not coordinated with it.

  • Jordan: Counterterrorism action, coordinated with Syria, with regret for civilian deaths.
  • Damascus: Disputes that the strikes were coordinated.

Read the original at Al Jazeera: Syria-Jordan border reopens amid probe into deadly airstrikes →

Feel-Good

The Good Ten

Small, true, and from this week.

  1. 01

    Rainforest Trust passes 70 million acres with a Bolivian river reserve

    Tue Oct 27

    With Bolivian NGO Faunagua, Rainforest Trust helped create the 715,000-acre Agua Dulce Municipal Wildlife Reserve along the Iténez River, bringing its total to 70 million protected acres. Ten million of those were added in roughly the past seven to eight months. The 780-mile river supports jaguars, giant otters and 260 fish species, 25 found nowhere else.

    Read the original at Good News Network →
  2. 02

    Washington Ballet turns 50 with a world premiere set to a go-go band

    Mon Oct 26

    Edwaard Liang, who took over The Washington Ballet in 2023, talks about its 50th season. The Go-Go 50 program opens at the Warner Theatre on Oct 30 with four works, including Chanel DaSilva's world premiere An Artist's Prayer, set to music by go-go band Black Alley. His full-length Dracula premieres in February 2027.

    Read the original at Pointe →
  3. 03

    Hertfordshire comedians open four paid-spot comedy clubs

    Mon Oct 26

    Duncan Hart and Gil Givens launch Absolutely Belting Comedy, monthly nights in Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth and Baldock from November, with every main-bill spot paid. It grew out of Herts Comedy Workshop, about 70 members. Hart's promise: "There will never, EVER be any AI posters!"

    Read the original at Chortle →
  4. 04

    Lumina simulates the universe's first 2 billion years on 15,000 GPUs

    Tue Oct 27

    The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian released Lumina, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. It models a cube about 1.5 billion light-years across, more than 100 times the volume of comparable earlier projects, on more than 15,000 GPUs of the Frontier supercomputer. Results will be compared with Webb and Roman observations.

    Read the original at ScienceDaily →
  5. 05

    Botswana honors Roy Sesana, 97, who fought San evictions from the Kalahari

    Tue Oct 27

    Roy Sesana received an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Botswana on Oct 23 for decades of advocacy against removal of San communities from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, which led to a High Court ruling in their favor nearly 20 years ago. He says the struggle "remains far from over."

    Read the original at Mongabay →
  6. 06

    Oregon Zoo's rescued sea otters dunk mini pumpkins through hoops

    Mon Oct 26

    Oregon Zoo shared a video Oct 24 of otters Juno, Lincoln and Uni Sushi tossing mini pumpkins through hoops; Juno dribbles by swimming with the ball. The tradition began with Eddie, a rescued otter trained to exercise an arthritic elbow, who died in 2018 at nearly 21.

    Read the original at Good Good Good →
  7. 07

    A 62-year-old Ghanaian cocoa farmer grows profits and 17 jobs under shade trees

    Thu Oct 22

    Susana Afrifa Ankrah joined the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Programme after its 2019 launch and adopted shade-grown cocoa. She estimates her profit margins rose about 80%, and she also set up a daycare nursery and bakery employing 17 people.

    Read the original at Positive News →
  8. 08

    Andrew Durand, 16 straight months of overlapping Broadway and Off-Broadway contracts

    Mon Oct 26

    Tony nominee Andrew Durand juggled Dead Outlaw, Little Shop of Horrors, The Rocky Horror Show and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, once rehearsing Rocky Horror for a month while performing in Little Shop. Benjamin Button began Oct 8 at the Public Theater and runs through Dec 20.

    Read the original at Playbill →

TV and the sky

Tonight, and overhead

On the couch

TV

On the Couch

  • Survivor 51 (Ep 6) · CBS · airs Pacific air time not confirmed: calendarx lists 5:00 PM PDT, no CBS page was checked · streams Streaming not confirmed on any page we opened — Wed Oct 28; the only source is CalendarX, not a CBS page.
Storm watch

Weather

Storm Watch

Los Angeles: Sunny, high 77, light wind turning SW 5-10 mph; tonight mostly clear, low 57 · Los Angeles

  • Tropical Storm Vance (Eastern Pacific) — Tropical storm · 40 mph peak · 1003 mb. 18.6N 108.6W, about 280 mi west of Manzanillo, Mexico, moving N at 12 mph with a turn to NNE expected No watches or warnings. 2-4 in of rain through Thursday over Sinaloa, Durango and Nayarit, with isolated totals up to 7 in in central and southern Sinaloa; flooding and mudslide risk; rip currents on the Mexican Pacific coast and southern Baja. (as of Advisory #28, 2:00 AM MST Wed Oct 28 (0900 UTC)) NHC Public Advisory #28: Tropical Storm Vance

Winter outlook: No tropical cyclones in the Atlantic or Central Pacific (NHC). Climate Prediction Center, 8 Oct 2026 discussion, still the latest: El Nino is still strengthening, with a greater than 83% chance of strong-to-very-strong El Nino persisting through Jan-Mar 2027. The next discussion is due about Nov 12.

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

CPC ENSO Diagnostic Discussion · National Hurricane Center

The sky tonight

Overhead

Sky

Moon: Waning Gibbous (92% illuminated)

Tonight's sky: The Moon is 92% lit, and its glare swamps the Orionids, which peaked Oct 21-22 and stay active through Nov 7. Mars and Jupiter rise after midnight; Griffith gives 12:50 am (Mars) and 1:20 am (Jupiter, in Leo) for Oct 31. Saturn sets about 4:59 am on Oct 31. Mercury and Venus are too near the Sun. Moon Giant: Moon phase Oct 28 2026 · Griffith Observatory Sky Report

Human Design transits
  • Patrick: Saturn in Gate 21 (The Hunter, Heart) and Uranus in Gate 20 (The Now, Throat) sit on two of your own gates, completing the 21-45 and 20-34 channels; Neptune in Gate 25 and Pluto in Gate 41 complete 25-51 and 30-41 with gates you carry; the North Node is in your Gate 30 (Recognition of Feelings). Mechanics from the HD Toolkit; meanings are interpretation.
  • Travis: Saturn in Gate 17 (Opinions, Ajna) and Neptune in Gate 25 (The Spirit of the Self, G) both sit on his own gates; neither completes a new channel today. Mechanics from the HD Toolkit; meanings are interpretation.
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.

  • No newer formation is logged since 21 July 2026.
  • The Connector's 2026 index shows 16 formations for the year, 10 of them from July to December and none from August to December; the index shows an update date of 11 Aug 2026, so the site may simply be stale.

From the history: On 9 September 1991 the British paper Today ran a front-page story saying Doug Bower and Dave Chorley had made crop circles since the late 1970s, flattening the crop with planks and ropes, with more than 200 patterns over the previous decade. The confession covers their own work; some believers kept insisting on non-human causes afterward.

Crop Circle Connector: July-December 2026 · Crop Circle Connector: 2026 index · NZ Herald (New York Times syndication): Doug and Dave