> the article doesn't include any facts that indicate this.

It does include two facts:

1. That the reporter's bio on the webpage changed "...is a reporter at Ars" to "...was a reporter at Ars". On the one hand, that's pretty thin sauce. On the other hand, that's not exactly the sort of change that gets made randomly.

2. They reached out to the various people involved, and although nobody has confirmed it, it's also the case that nobody has denied it.