[theFIRMbss]

>In fact it seems that nobody else was privy to this information but this one reporter

I know. But you asked
if anyone else ran it.
Once upon a time

we might have guessed that
USA had confirmed it,
that's why they ran it.

Today, who knows? But
USA is the "mainstream"
and they did run it.

[DouglasKC]

we might have guessed that USA had confirmed it, that's why they ran it. Today, who knows? But USA is the "mainstream" and they did run it.

They simply reproduced the story. All subsequent "news" sources are based on this one internet story.