Reporter Resigns From New York Post Following Story Claiming Harris Book Was Given To Migrant Children

Laura Italiano, a former reporter for the New York Post, said in a tweet Tuesday she resigned after being “ordered” to write an "incorrect" story. On Saturday, the New York Post published an article claiming that Vice President Kamala Harris' 2019 book, “Superheroes Are Everywhere,” was being distributed at migrant shelters; Italiano's byline appeared on the story. The story prompted wide criticism of Harris from the right. On Tuesday, the story was updated "to note that only one known copy of the book was given to a child." The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services clarified to Newsweek Tuesday that the book was donated as a part of an effort in the city of Long Beach, California, to collect books and toys as donations for the children being detained in that city, and that taxpayer dollars were not used to purchase Harris' book. Following the original stories, some on the right questioned whether Harris was profiting from the books being distributed. Italiano's resignation and the Post's update received wide coverage from left and center-rated outlets, who pointed to the story as an instance of partisan media jumping on a story that would paint the other side in a bad light.