The Washington Post revealed on Saturday that the outlet initially passed on the Samuel Alito flag story in 2021 after its former Supreme Court reporter had a confrontation over it with the justice's wife.

"The Post decided not to report on the episode at the time because the flag-raising appeared to be the work of Martha-Ann Alito, rather than the justice, and connected to a dispute with her neighbors," the Washington Post report said, citing a spokesperson for the paper. "It was not clear then that the argument was rooted in politics."

Former Washington Post Supreme Court reporter Robert Barnes went to the Alitos' home in 2021 after receiving a tip on the flag. According to the outlet, Alito's wife, Martha-Ann, shouted, "It’s an international signal of distress" after being probed by the reporter on the flag. 

An upside-down American flag, a symbol used by the former president's supporters who falsely claim President Biden did not win the 2020 election, was seen flying at Alito's home in the weeks following the Jan. 6 riot, The New York Times first reported last week. 

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Alito previously told Fox News that his wife was the one who hung the flag in response to insults from a neighbor. 

Cameron Barr, the former senior managing editor, took responsibility for not running the story at the time, according to Semafor. 

"I agreed with [Supreme Court reporter] Bob Barnes and others that we should not do a single-slice story about the flag, because it seemed like the story was about Martha-Ann Alito and not her husband," Barr told the outlet.

Semafor referred to the decision as "cautious and deferential, and very pre-Dobbs," suggesting it meant more now after the Supreme Court's conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade.

"Now, it's hard to imagine," the outlet wrote. 

Members of the media and prominent Democratic lawmakers are calling on Alito to recuse himself from all cases before the court that are related to Donald Trump. Conservatives have said the story is much ado about nothing and part of a wider effort to delegitimize the Supreme Court.

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"In retrospect, I should have pushed harder for that story," Barr told Semafor. 

Alito's wife reportedly told the Washington Post reporter to ask their neighbors what they did and told the reporter to get off their property.

Another symbol carried by Trump supporters, an "Appeal to Heaven" flag, was seen flying at a beach home owned by Alito in New Jersey, the New York Times reported days after their initial report. The flag, also known as the Pine Tree flag, dates back to the Revolutionary War.

Police in Ocean City, New Jersey are investigating a stabbing incident and another nearby beach town declared a state of emergency on Memorial Day weekend.

Police responded to the boardwalk Saturday evening to find that a 15-year-old male had been stabbed by an unknown male suspect. The individual was transported to an area hospital and is expected to recover from his injuries.

"As in recent years and in other shore towns, Ocean City experienced a number of issues related to large crowds of teens on the Boardwalk, fights, shoplifting and disorderly conduct during the start of Memorial Day weekend," Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian said in a statement. "I understand the impact that this behavior has on all of our residents, guests and business owners, and I want to assure everybody that Ocean City will not tolerate it."

"Our officers made multiple arrests last night and were able to quickly restore order to the Boardwalk once the teens involved in these incidents were removed," he added.

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"We have a highly qualified team of officers on the boardwalk and throughout town, and they will enforce all laws to the fullest," Gillian assured residents.

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"Ocean City will always be welcoming to all guests, but I want to send a clear message to parents and to teens: "If you don't want to behave, don't come,'" he warned.

Further south in Cape May County, the Wildwood Police Department declared a state of emergency just after midnight Monday due to "numerous incidents of civil unrest." They rescinded that declaration hours later but did not say in a press release if anyone had been arrested.

The violence comes as a shortage of lifeguards is prompting some municipalities to close or reduce operating hours for beaches and swimming pools as the weather heats up and people look for outdoor aquatic activities to cool down.

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In New York City, beaches will open for Memorial Day weekend, but only 230 of the 600 lifeguards needed to fully staff and patrol the areas have been hired. 

"There are some beaches that will have shortened hours or may not even be able to have a full complement because we have … a national lifeguard problem that we're trying to resolve here in the city," NYC Mayor Eric Adams said this week.  

Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report