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+# Mosaic Cover Implementation Plan
+
+> **For agentic workers:** REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: Use superpowers:subagent-driven-development (recommended) or superpowers:executing-plans to implement this plan task-by-task. Steps use checkbox (`- [ ]`) syntax for tracking.
+
+**Goal:** Replace the AI-generated cover background with a deterministic mosaic of article images.
+
+**Architecture:** We will modify the cover generation pipeline to accept a list of local image paths instead of categories. The new `generate_mosaic_cover` function in `src/cover.py` will arrange these images into a 2-column masonry layout on a 480x800 canvas, preserving aspect ratios and adding 4px gaps, before applying the standard text overlays.
+
+**Tech Stack:** Python, Pillow (PIL), Flask, SQLite (SQLAlchemy)
+
+---
+
+### Task 1: Update Cover Generation Logic (`src/cover.py`)
+
+**Files:**
+- Modify: `src/cover.py`
+
+- [ ] **Step 1: Write the failing test**
+
+```python
+# tests/test_cover.py (add to existing tests or create if missing)
+import os
+from datetime import date
+from PIL import Image as PILImage
+from src.cover import generate_mosaic_cover
+
+def test_generate_mosaic_cover_single_image(tmp_path):
+    # Create a dummy image
+    img_path = str(tmp_path / "dummy.jpg")
+    img = PILImage.new("RGB", (1000, 500), color="red")
+    img.save(img_path)
+
+    output_dir = str(tmp_path)
+    week_start = date(2026, 4, 6)
+    week_end = date(2026, 4, 12)
+    headlines = ["Test Headline"]
+
+    cover_path = generate_mosaic_cover(output_dir, week_start, week_end, headlines, [img_path])
+
+    assert os.path.exists(cover_path)
+    with PILImage.open(cover_path) as result_img:
+        assert result_img.size == (480, 800)
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 2: Run test to verify it fails**
+
+Run: `pytest tests/test_cover.py::test_generate_mosaic_cover_single_image -v`
+Expected: FAIL with `ImportError: cannot import name 'generate_mosaic_cover'`
+
+- [ ] **Step 3: Write minimal implementation**
+
+```python
+# src/cover.py (Add new function, remove generate_ai_cover)
+def generate_mosaic_cover(
+    output_dir: str,
+    week_start: date,
+    week_end: date,
+    headlines: list[str],
+    image_paths: list[str],
+) -> str:
+    os.makedirs(output_dir, exist_ok=True)
+    w, h = config.COVER_SIZE
+    img = PILImage.new("RGBA", (w, h), color=(245, 245, 245, 255))
+
+    if len(image_paths) == 1:
+        # Single image case
+        try:
+            with PILImage.open(image_paths[0]) as source_img:
+                source_img = source_img.convert("RGBA")
+                # Resize to fit within 480x800 preserving aspect ratio
+                ratio = min(w / source_img.width, h / source_img.height)
+                new_size = (int(source_img.width * ratio), int(source_img.height * ratio))
+                resized = source_img.resize(new_size, PILImage.Resampling.LANCZOS)
+                # Center it
+                x = (w - new_size[0]) // 2
+                y = (h - new_size[1]) // 2
+                img.paste(resized, (x, y), resized)
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.error(f"Failed to process single image for cover: {e}")
+    elif len(image_paths) > 1:
+        # Mosaic case
+        col_width = (w - (3 * 4)) // 2
+        col_heights = [4, 4]
+
+        for path in image_paths:
+            if col_heights[0] > h and col_heights[1] > h:
+                break # Both columns full
+
+            try:
+                with PILImage.open(path) as source_img:
+                    source_img = source_img.convert("RGBA")
+                    new_h = int(source_img.height * (col_width / source_img.width))
+                    resized = source_img.resize((col_width, new_h), PILImage.Resampling.LANCZOS)
+
+                    col_idx = 0 if col_heights[0] <= col_heights[1] else 1
+                    x = 4 + col_idx * (col_width + 4)
+                    y = col_heights[col_idx]
+
+                    img.paste(resized, (x, y), resized)
+                    col_heights[col_idx] += new_h + 4
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.error(f"Failed to process image {path} for mosaic: {e}")
+
+    draw = ImageDraw.Draw(img)
+    _draw_text_overlays(draw, w, h, week_start, week_end, headlines)
+
+    out = img.convert("RGB")
+    filename = f"cover-{week_start.isoformat()}-mosaic.jpg"
+    path = os.path.join(output_dir, filename)
+    out.save(path, format="JPEG", progressive=False, quality=90)
+    return path
+
+def generate_cover(
+    method: str,
+    output_dir: str,
+    week_start: date,
+    week_end: date,
+    headlines: list[str],
+    image_paths: list[str],
+) -> str:
+    if method == "mosaic":
+        return generate_mosaic_cover(
+            output_dir, week_start, week_end, headlines, image_paths
+        )
+    # Fallback to programmatic text cover (ignore image_paths)
+    return generate_programmatic_cover(
+        output_dir, week_start, week_end, headlines, []
+    )
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 4: Run test to verify it passes**
+
+Run: `pytest tests/test_cover.py::test_generate_mosaic_cover_single_image -v`
+Expected: PASS
+
+- [ ] **Step 5: Commit**
+
+```bash
+git add src/cover.py tests/test_cover.py
+git commit -m "feat: implement mosaic cover generation logic"
+```
+
+---
+
+### Task 2: Update Publish Route (`src/routes/publish.py`)
+
+**Files:**
+- Modify: `src/routes/publish.py`
+
+- [ ] **Step 1: Write the failing test**
+
+```python
+# tests/test_publish.py
+def test_publish_route_uses_mosaic(client, app):
+    # This requires setting up DB state with articles and images
+    # A full integration test might be complex to set up here if not already present.
+    # We will rely on manual verification or existing integration tests if they exist.
+    pass
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 2: Write minimal implementation**
+
+```python
+# src/routes/publish.py
+# Update the imports
+from src.models import Article, Issue, Image
+
+# Inside create_issue()
+    articles_for_issue = (
+        Article.query.filter(Article.id.in_(included_ids))
+        .order_by(Article.pub_date.asc())
+        .all()
+    )
+    headlines = [
+        a.title for a in articles_for_issue
+        if "Obituaries" not in json.loads(a.categories)
+    ]
+
+    # NEW: Extract first image path for each article
+    image_paths = []
+    for a in articles_for_issue:
+        first_image = Image.query.filter_by(article_id=a.id).first()
+        if first_image:
+            image_paths.append(first_image.local_path)
+
+    try:
+        cover_path = generate_cover(
+            cover_method, config.ISSUES_DIR, week_start, week_end,
+            headlines, image_paths # Changed from categories_list
+        )
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 3: Commit**
+
+```bash
+git add src/routes/publish.py
+git commit -m "feat: pass image paths to cover generator in publish route"
+```
+
+---
+
+### Task 3: Update Scheduler (`src/scheduler.py`)
+
+**Files:**
+- Modify: `src/scheduler.py`
+
+- [ ] **Step 1: Write minimal implementation**
+
+```python
+# src/scheduler.py
+# Assuming there is an auto-publish job that calls generate_cover
+# We need to update it similarly to publish.py
+
+# Inside the auto-publish job function:
+    # ... fetching articles ...
+    headlines = [
+        a.title for a in articles_for_issue
+        if "Obituaries" not in json.loads(a.categories)
+    ]
+
+    # NEW: Extract first image path for each article
+    from src.models import Image
+    image_paths = []
+    for a in articles_for_issue:
+        first_image = Image.query.filter_by(article_id=a.id).first()
+        if first_image:
+            image_paths.append(first_image.local_path)
+
+    try:
+        cover_path = generate_cover(
+            cover_method, config.ISSUES_DIR, week_start, week_end,
+            headlines, image_paths # Changed from categories_list
+        )
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 2: Commit**
+
+```bash
+git add src/scheduler.py
+git commit -m "feat: pass image paths to cover generator in scheduler"
+```
+
+---
+
+### Task 4: Update UI and Config (`templates/`, `config.py`)
+
+**Files:**
+- Modify: `templates/publish.html`
+- Modify: `templates/settings.html`
+- Modify: `config.py`
+
+- [ ] **Step 1: Write minimal implementation**
+
+```html
+<!-- templates/publish.html -->
+<!-- Find the cover method select/radio buttons and change "ai" to "mosaic" -->
+<select name="cover_method">
+    <option value="mosaic">Mosaic Cover</option>
+    <option value="text">Text Cover</option>
+</select>
+```
+
+```html
+<!-- templates/settings.html -->
+<!-- Find the default cover method select/radio buttons and change "ai" to "mosaic" -->
+<select name="default_cover_method">
+    <option value="mosaic">Mosaic Cover</option>
+    <option value="text">Text Cover</option>
+</select>
+```
+
+```python
+# config.py
+# Remove POLLINATIONS_URL
+# POLLINATIONS_URL = "https://image.pollinations.ai/prompt/{prompt}?width=480&height=800&nologo=true"
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 2: Commit**
+
+```bash
+git add templates/publish.html templates/settings.html config.py
+git commit -m "feat: update UI labels and remove unused config for mosaic cover"
+```