daily-news-caster

author	luo-kai
name	daily-news-caster
description	Fetches the latest news using news-aggregator-skill, formats it into a podcast script in Markdown format, and uses the tts skill to generate a podcast audio file. Use when the user asks to get the latest news and read it out as a podcast.
permissions	["network","filesystem"]
dependencies	{"skills":["news-aggregator-skill","tts"],"binaries":["python3","ffmpeg"]}

Daily News Caster Skill

This skill allows the agent to fetch real-time news, organize it into a conversational podcast script, and generate an audio file reading the script out loud.

Workflow Instructions

When the user asks to get the latest news and make a podcast out of it, follow these steps strictly:

Step 1: Ensure Required Skills are Present

Verify that news-aggregator-skill and tts exist in the workspace (under skills/ or .cursor/skills/). If either is missing, inform the user which skill(s) are not found and ask them to install manually before proceeding. Do NOT attempt to install skills automatically.

Step 2: Fetch the Latest News

Locate fetch_news.py from the news-aggregator-skill skill directory (e.g., skills/news-aggregator-skill/scripts/fetch_news.py). Read its SKILL.md to understand usage if needed.

Run the script to fetch real-time news. You can specify a source (e.g., hackernews, github, all) or keywords based on the user's request. Example command:

python3 skills/news-aggregator-skill/scripts/fetch_news.py --source all --limit 10 --deep

Step 3: Draft the Podcast Script (Internal Step)

Read the fetched news data and rewrite the information into a Markdown podcast script. Crucially, prioritize a dual-host (two-person) conversational format (e.g., Host A and Host B) in a dynamic Q&A style. The script should be:

• Dual-Host Conversational yet concise: Write an engaging back-and-forth between two hosts. Host A should ask insightful, high-value questions to guide the conversation, and Host B should provide informative, concise answers. It should feel like a smart, fast-paced Q&A dialogue.
• Avoid fluff: Do not include unnecessary fluff or overly long transitions. Keep it to the point (言简意赅) while retaining all critical information and facts.
• Clearly Labeled Speakers: Start each line or paragraph with the speaker's name (e.g., Host A: or Host B:).
• Clear text for speech: Avoid complex URLs, raw markdown links, or unpronounceable characters in the spoken text.

Save this script to a local file named podcast_script.md.

Example podcast_script.md Content:

**Host A:** Welcome to today's news roundup. We have some exciting tech updates today. To start things off, there's a big update from [Company Name]. What are the core implications of their new release for everyday users?

**Host B:** The main takeaway is that... [Insert concise answer and summary of News Item 1]. This completely changes how we approach [Topic].

**Host A:** That's fascinating. But does this new approach raise any security concerns, especially given recent data breaches?

**Host B:** Exactly. Experts are pointing out that... [Insert analysis or context]. 

**Host A:** Moving on to the open-source world, what's trending on GitHub today that developers should pay attention to?

**Host B:** A standout project is... [Insert concise summary of News Item 2].

**Host A:** Great insights. That's all for today's quick update. Thanks for tuning in!

Step 4: Generate the Podcast Audio Line-by-Line

To avoid sending the entire script to the API at once, you must generate the audio sentence by sentence (一人一句地生成) and then concatenate them.

Use tts.py from the local tts skill (skills/tts/scripts/tts.py). Read the tts skill's SKILL.md for full usage and backend options.

1. Generate Audio for Each Line: For each dialogue line in the script, run the speak command. Use the appropriate voice or reference audio for the respective host. If the user provided reference audio files for the two roles, use them via the --ref-audio flag (requires noiz backend and NOIZ_API_KEY). Without an API key, guest mode voices are available (see tts SKILL.md for the voice list).

python3 skills/tts/scripts/tts.py -t "Welcome to today's news roundup..." --ref-audio host_A.wav -o line_01.wav

python3 skills/tts/scripts/tts.py -t "The main takeaway is that..." --ref-audio host_B.wav -o line_02.wav

2. Concatenate the Audio Files: Create a text file (e.g., list.txt) listing all the generated audio files in order:

file 'line_01.wav'
file 'line_02.wav'

Then use ffmpeg to merge them into a single podcast audio file:

ffmpeg -f concat -safe 0 -i list.txt -c copy podcast_output.wav

Step 5: Present the Final Result

After the full audio has been generated and merged, present the results to the user. You MUST provide both pieces of content:

• Output the fully drafted Markdown podcast script into the chat so the user can read it.
• Provide the path to the final podcast_output.wav file so they can listen to the audio.
• Briefly summarize the headlines that were included in the podcast.

Security & data disclosure

This skill is instruction-only — it contains no executable code itself. At runtime it orchestrates scripts from two dependency skills:

• Scripts executed: news-aggregator-skill/scripts/fetch_news.py (fetches news from public sources) and tts/scripts/tts.py (generates speech audio). Both must be present locally before this skill runs; review their code and SKILL.md for details on their network behavior and credential requirements.
• Credentials: This skill does not require any API keys or environment variables directly. The tts dependency may require NOIZ_API_KEY for voice-cloning features (noiz backend); without it, guest-mode voices work out of the box. See the tts skill's SKILL.md for details.
• Network access: All network calls are made by the dependency skills, not by this skill's instructions. The news-aggregator fetches from public news sources; the tts skill contacts noiz.ai only when the noiz backend is used.
• Files written: podcast_script.md, line_*.wav (temporary per-sentence audio), list.txt (ffmpeg concat list), podcast_output.wav (final output). All are written to the current working directory.
• No persistent state: This skill does not write configuration files, store credentials, or modify other skills.