On June 30, 2026, NPR published a report by Supreme Court reporter Nina Totenberg stating that Justice Samuel Alito had retired. The report, published at 10:51 a.m. Eastern Time, attributed the information to the Court itself. Shortly after, the Supreme Court's public-information office clarified that no such announcement had been made. NPR quickly retracted the story and issued an apology. The incorrect report was disseminated by various public radio affiliates and led to at least one other publication, Vox, retracting its own story based on NPR's report.
NPR's public editor, Kelly McBride, explained that Totenberg misheard Chief Justice John Roberts during an announcement regarding retirements. The story had been largely prewritten in anticipation of a potential retirement announcement. McBride noted that the report lacked additional verification steps, as it cited an announcement rather than an anonymous source. The archived story contained a notable typo, indicating it may have been published prematurely.
The incident occurred during a busy day for the Supreme Court, which also included rulings on transgender athletes in sports and President Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship. Despite the significant error, there was minimal public reaction outside of media critics and Court observers. The lack of widespread concern may reflect a shift in public interest in journalistic standards, as NPR's quick retraction made it difficult to generate conspiracy theories around the mistake.