NPR’s eminent Supreme Court correspondent Nina Totenberg says she made a “rookie mistake” on Tuesday morning, and that’s why she reported that Justice Samuel Alito was retiring.
Totenberg’s story sent other newsrooms scrambling to confirm, leading a court spokesperson to deny the reporting.
Totenberg discussed the matter on “All Things Considered” Tuesday afternoon and read the text of the apology she sent to Alito.
The apology didn’t fully explain why NPR published the report without additional confirmation, however.
The embarrassing episode also amplified questions about whether, in fact, Alito is contemplating retirement, a possibility some court watchers had already been discussing.
