NewsMonitor

Automated news digest delivery system that aggregates breaking news from multiple RSS feeds and sends beautifully formatted HTML emails twice daily.

Features

• 📰 Real-time news from 50+ RSS feeds across 7 categories
• 🎯 Smart deduplication - prevents repeated articles across emails
• 🌑 Dark-themed, mobile-responsive email design
• 🔗 Quick-jump navigation with color-coded category links
• 📊 Feed health monitoring with automatic alerts and stats
• ⏰ Automated delivery via GitHub Actions (8 AM & 8 PM ET)
• 🔒 Secure - all credentials stored as environment variables
• 💰 100% free - no paid services required

Tech Stack

• Hosting: Vercel (serverless functions)
• Email: Gmail SMTP (free tier: 500 emails/day)
• News Sources: RSS feeds from CNN, BBC, Reuters, TechCrunch, etc.
• Scheduling: GitHub Actions (cron jobs)
• Language: Python 3.x
• Libraries: feedparser, smtplib, email.mime

News Categories

1. Top News - CNN, BBC, NPR, Reuters, NY Times, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Washington Post
2. Technology - TechCrunch, The Verge, Ars Technica, Wired, Engadget, CNET, ZDNet, Techmeme
3. AI - MIT Tech Review, VentureBeat, AI News, MarTechPost, DeepMind, OpenAI, Google AI
4. Arts & Entertainment - Variety, Hollywood Reporter, CNN, BBC, Deadline, EW, Rolling Stone
5. Science - ScienceDaily, Scientific American, BBC, Phys.org, Nature, Space.com, New Scientist
6. Health - Medical News Today, Healthline, CNN Health, BBC Health, WebMD, NIH
7. Business - Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN Money, BBC Business, FT, WSJ, MarketWatch, Forbes

Prerequisites

• Vercel account (free)
• Gmail account with App Password enabled
• GitHub account (for scheduling)

Setup

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/NewsMonitor.git
cd NewsMonitor

2. Set Up Gmail SMTP

1. Go to your Google Account settings
2. Enable 2-Step Verification
3. Go to Security → App passwords
4. Generate an app password for "Mail"
5. Save the 16-character password

3. Deploy to Vercel

1. Install Vercel CLI: npm i -g vercel
2. Run: vercel
3. Follow the prompts to deploy
4. Add environment variables in Vercel dashboard:

GMAIL_ADDRESS=your-email@gmail.com
GMAIL_APP_PASSWORD=your-16-char-password
RECIPIENT_EMAIL=recipient@example.com
MY_SECRET_API_KEY=your-random-secret-key

Generate a random API key:

openssl rand -hex 32

4. Set Up Automated Scheduling

This requires the companion news-cron-job repository.

1. Clone the cron job repo
2. Add MY_SECRET_API_KEY to GitHub Secrets
3. Update the Vercel URL in run_cron.py
4. GitHub Actions will trigger the news digest twice daily

Customization

Change Categories

Edit RSS_FEEDS dictionary in api/send-news.py:

RSS_FEEDS = {
    "Your Category": [
        "https://example.com/feed.rss",
        "https://another-source.com/rss"
    ]
}

Modify Colors

Edit category_colors in format_email_content():

category_colors = {
    "Your Category": "#00ff88",  # Bright cyan
}

Adjust Timing

Edit .github/workflows/cron.yml in the news-cron-job repo:

schedule:
  - cron: '0 13,1 * * *'  # 8 AM & 8 PM ET

Filter by Article Age

Change the cutoff date in api/send-news.py:

cutoff_date = datetime.now() - timedelta(days=7)  # Last 7 days

Email Features

Dark Theme

• Pure black background (#000000)
• High-contrast vibrant colors
• Optimized for Apple Mail and Gmail

Smart Deduplication

• Tracks sent articles for 30 days to prevent repeats
• Removes duplicates within each email batch
• Uses URL and content-based hashing for accuracy
• Shows deduplication stats in email footer

Quality Monitoring

• Feed health dashboard at bottom
• Conditional alert banner if feeds fail
• Article count and success rate displayed
• Duplicate removal statistics

Responsive Design

• Mobile-optimized layout
• Table-based for email client compatibility
• Works on iPhone, Android, desktop

Architecture

┌─────────────────┐
│ GitHub Actions  │  Triggers twice daily (cron)
└────────┬────────┘
         │ HTTP GET with API key
         ▼
┌─────────────────┐
│ Vercel Function │  Fetches RSS feeds, formats email
│ (send-news.py)  │
└────────┬────────┘
         │ SMTP
         ▼
┌─────────────────┐
│  Gmail SMTP     │  Sends email to recipient
└─────────────────┘

Security

• ✅ All credentials stored as environment variables
• ✅ API key authentication for endpoint
• ✅ No secrets in code repository
• ✅ GitHub Secrets for cron job API key
• ✅ Gmail App Password (not main password)

Cost

$0/month - All services used are free tier:

• Vercel: Free serverless functions
• Gmail: 500 emails/day free
• GitHub Actions: Free for public repos
• RSS feeds: Free

Troubleshooting

Email going to spam?

• Check Gmail settings aren't blocking it
• Ensure Gmail App Password is correct
• Verify SENDER_EMAIL and RECIPIENT_EMAIL are set

No articles in email?

• Check Vercel function logs for RSS feed errors
• Some feeds may be temporarily down
• Look for feed health stats at bottom of email

Repeated articles appearing?

• Deduplication system tracks articles for 30 days
• History is stored in /tmp/sent_articles.json on Vercel
• If running locally, history resets between sessions
• Check email footer for "Duplicates Removed" count

Old articles appearing?

• Date filter is set to 7 days by default
• Some RSS feeds may have incorrect dates
• Check feed quality in Vercel logs

Dark theme not working?

• Ensure you're viewing on a supported email client
• Try both light and dark system modes
• Gmail and Apple Mail are fully supported

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Feel free to:

• Add more RSS feed sources
• Improve email design
• Add new categories
• Enhance monitoring features

License

MIT License - feel free to use for personal or commercial projects.

Credits

Built with Python, Vercel, and love for staying informed. Powered by RSS feeds from news organizations worldwide.