GhostShell: A Spooky Terminal Assistant Running Open-Source AI Locally

GhostShell is a terminal assistant that adds a haunted, supernatural personality to everyday software development. It runs an open-weight language model, Qwen2.5 3B, locally through Ollama, so no proprietary cloud API is needed. The tool reacts to developer commands and Git activity, and explains errors while staying in character. Built in Python with the Rich library for formatted output, it constructs prompts from real command output and repository context. The project was submitted to Hacktoberfest's Open-Source AI Challenge and highlights privacy, offline use, and extensibility as benefits of local inference.

What we know about the Melania Trump-brokered Ukraine-Russia truce in Oleshky

The Russian-occupied city of Oleshky has been without electricity, gas, or running water for three years. Residents have reported resorting to eating weeds to survive the prolonged shortages. A truce covering the city was reportedly brokered with the involvement of Melania Trump. The article outlines the known details of the arrangement and the humanitarian conditions that prompted it. Further specifics of the agreement's terms were not provided in the available excerpt.

Lessons from building one API to connect 25 review platforms

A developer building Prisma Reviews, a single REST API for reviews, shares what they learned integrating 25 platforms. Platforms fall into four connection types, from OAuth and developer-console keys to shop tokens and public-listing-only sources, each needing its own onboarding and error handling. Access approval often takes far longer than writing the connector, with some platforms requiring hand-reviewed applications, low default quotas, or paid add-ons. The team normalizes differing rating, date, and author formats into one shape, treating missing ratings as null and preferring original text over translations. Because most platforms lack webhooks, they poll official APIs frequently and paid sources sparingly under strict budget caps, while exposing a single webhook to users.

Bessent Says Crypto Could Help Keep the US Dollar Dominant

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke at Ripple's conference about the role of digital assets in America's financial standing. He suggested that actions by the SEC and CFTC could partly compensate for the stalled Clarity Act. Bessent also said regulators should work to curb the debanking of crypto firms. The remarks frame crypto as a potential tool for preserving the dollar's global position.

Solar Leases Help Revive Unprofitable Massachusetts Cranberry Bogs

Two cranberry bogs in Massachusetts have begun installing solar panels above their crops. The arrangement lowers farming costs and generates additional income from electricity production. It also improves soil health and brings back bog areas that had gone unused. State policies are supporting this combined use of farmland, which points toward wider adoption of agrivoltaics.

Congress slams EC affidavit, terms it ‘deceptive, deceitful & duplicitous’

Starc admits form has felt off during the series but says footage shows he was overthinking

Mitchell Starc has acknowledged that several aspects of his game have not felt right during the ongoing series. The left-arm pacer said he had not been at his best in the matches so far. However, after reviewing footage of his bowling, he felt his performance was better than he had believed. Starc suggested that he had been overthinking his approach and mechanics. The admission offers a candid look at the bowler's self-assessment as the series continues.

Petitioners ask Supreme Court to preserve SIR files and official notings

Petitioners have approached the Supreme Court seeking an order to preserve the files and official notings related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The plea reflects concern that these records could be lost, altered or destroyed while the matter is under judicial consideration. The petitioners argue that the documents are essential to ensure transparency and to allow proper scrutiny of the decision-making process. The court's response to the request has not been detailed in the available text. Further developments are expected as the case proceeds.

Hex Raises $100M in New Funding Round

Hex, the data analytics company, has announced a $100 million raise, according to a post on its blog. The company describes the funding as the start of a new era for its business. The source material provides only the headline, a link to the announcement, and minimal Hacker News engagement metrics, so the investors, valuation, and specific plans for the capital are not confirmed here. Further details would need to be drawn from Hex's own announcement.

Robinhood's crypto revenue falls 55% year over year but beats Wall Street estimates

Robinhood reported that its crypto revenue dropped 55% compared with the previous year, reflecting a 38% decline in crypto trading volume. Despite the drop, the figure exceeded analysts' forecasts. The company said its broader blockchain-related business showed growing momentum. The results highlight how weaker trading activity hit the brokerage's crypto earnings even as other segments gained ground.

Re:Build, the Slate Auto spinout, raises $2.1B

Re:Build, a manufacturing accelerator that spun out Slate Auto, has raised $2.1 billion. The company positions itself as a U.S. counterpart to Shenzhen, China's major manufacturing hub. The article provides limited further detail beyond this description. Specific investors, valuation, and timing are not covered in the source text provided.

Programmer Ondřej Surý's PHP patches helped avert a cyber crisis

BBC Tech's Tech Life programme features an interview with Ondřej Surý, a programmer whose work on PHP patches helped prevent a cyber crisis. The segment focuses on his role in addressing the security issue. The source article provides limited detail beyond this summary of the interview. Further specifics about the crisis and the patches are not included in the available text.

Jake Gyllenhaal Sells NYC Condo for $14M Amid $376M Lawsuit

Actor Jake Gyllenhaal reportedly bought a New York City condominium for $8.63 million and later sold it for $14 million. The sale took place while Gyllenhaal was involved in a $376 million lawsuit. The source article provided only the headline details, so further specifics about the parties, timing, and the nature of the suit are not confirmed here. Readers should consult the original Times of India report for complete context.

San Diego student Kayley Xu wins $25,000 for wearable stethoscope design

Kayley Xu, a Year 12 student from San Diego, has won $25,000 for Aucura, a wearable stethoscope she developed. The device is intended to improve respiratory diagnostics and make them more accessible. Xu was inspired after recovering from pneumonia and noticed that traditional stethoscopes have changed little over time. To test her invention, she built a model of the human torso. She designed the device to be affordable for clinics in rural and underfunded areas.

Critical EDK2 Firmware Flaw Lets Attackers Run Code During Early Boot

A serious vulnerability has been identified in EDK2, a widely used open-source codebase for UEFI firmware. The flaw allows attackers to execute arbitrary code early in the system boot process, before the operating system loads. Because EDK2 underpins firmware on a large share of servers, the issue is considered a significant threat to the infrastructure. Early-boot code execution is especially dangerous because it can sit below security tools that run later. Specific details beyond the core flaw were not provided in the source text.

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Israel election exit polls show no clear winner as Netanyahu and rivals fall short of majority

Ceasefire extended across Ukraine's Kherson region, officials say

Officials have announced that a ceasefire in Ukraine's Kherson region has been extended. The truce was first arranged to help residents of Oleshky who had been left stranded. Both Russia and Ukraine have said no violations of the ceasefire have been reported. The source article provides limited further detail, so the wider scope and duration of the extension remain unclear.

Developer Shares Four Months of Experience Learning the Zig Programming Language

A developer has published a blog post reflecting on four months spent working with Zig, a systems programming language. The article, hosted on gracefulliberty.com, was shared on Hacker News, where it gathered 13 points and 4 comments. The post appears to recount the author's personal experience and impressions after sustained use of the language. The available source material provides only the title, link, and engagement metrics, so the specific lessons and conclusions in the article are not described here.

Three men paraded semi-naked by Kolkata police in crime scene recreation after mob attack

In the Sarsuna area of Behala, Kolkata, three men were publicly humiliated after being accused of punishing a teenager. According to reports, the youth had been stripped and paraded at gunpoint over an alleged kiss involving a 13-year-old girl. Police then staged a parade of the three men as part of a crime scene reconstruction, a process that was filmed and drew wide public attention. Human rights groups have criticized the police for using such methods during the arrests.