Shannon Bream highlights Justice Samuel Alito’s significant dissent concerning the Supreme Court’s decision on birthright citizenship. Alito warns about potential national security risks, mentioning hypothetical cases of children born in the U.S. to foreign mothers or illegal immigrants who could pose threats. He believes this decision creates a strong incentive for illegal entry, which might affect the nation’s future.
NPR was compelled to retract a report on Tuesday after inaccurately stating that Justice Samuel Alito was retiring from the Supreme Court. The article, titled “Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, retires,” originated from a misheard announcement.
The report stemmed from NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg. While exiting the Supreme Court on its final session day, she misheard Chief Justice John Roberts’ announcement about retirements. NPR explained that they had a detailed story prepared on Alito’s career, a common practice for notable retirements or deaths of significant figures.
Totenberg joined “All Things Considered” on Tuesday to clarify the error, describing it as “entirely on me” and labeled it a “rookie mistake.” She then read a letter on-air that she had written to Alito, apologizing for the mistake and mentioning she hadn’t received a response, nor did she expect one.
“Dear Justice Alito, there are no words to adequately apologize for today’s error in reporting your retirement. It was entirely my fault,” she said. “I rushed out of the courtroom after the opinion announcements, and when I realized that the usual rush of folks after a few minutes had not happened, I asked somebody what was going on inside, to which the answer was, ‘retirement announcements.’ I didn’t hear the ‘s’ on ‘announcements,’ and I assumed, something no reporter should ever do, that you were retiring. It was the worst professional mistake of my more than 50 years in journalism. I could go on, but I don’t know what else to say, except that I am so, so sorry,” Totenberg added.
NPR Executive Editor Krishnadev Calamur stated that NPR deeply regrets the error and confusion, noting that Totenberg reached out to Alito to apologize personally. NPR top editor Thomas Evans reiterated similar sentiments in a conversation with Fox News Digital.
A source told Fox News Digital in April that Alito “is not stepping down this term and is in the process of hiring the rest of his clerks for the next term.” Two additional sources confirmed that Alito is not retiring this term, which ends as the Supreme Court begins the new term in October.
Evans stated that once NPR realized the error, they quickly corrected it online and on-air. NPR’s Public Editor Kelly McBride explained that the story had briefly been live on NPR’s website and some member station sites before being amended with an editor’s note and on a broadcast.
Totenberg has been covering the Supreme Court for NPR since 1975. Calamur mentioned he would review the breaking news process following the incident. McBride acknowledged no excuse for the error, calling it an honest mistake amid a rush to publish.
Justice Alito, appointed in 2005 by then-President George W. Bush, has prompted retirement speculation due to his age and bench tenure. At 76, some believe he might be ensuring a conservative successor is confirmed by the Republican-led Senate ahead of the midterm elections.
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