Why: the approved r0.3 A01 sample failed before any useful background checkpoint.
Evidence: preserved A01 receipt, SQLite and provider records; offline SSE and retrieval replay; local links and diff checks pass.
Impact: design and validation record only; no behavior, budget, or model route changes.
Refs: docs/proposals/2026-10-14-fast-slow-u3-r04-reliable-first-checkpoint-design.md; docs/reports/2026-10-13-fast-slow-u2-u3-validation.md