In the instance you cite, subject and verb probably do agree in number. The DP just prints what it gets off the wire services. Subject and verb agreement, I think, is less of a challenge to the good writer today than inflected nouns. Some words do not change to show number. Some used to, but don't much anymore, as in one datum, two data.
Number is important, especially in widely used constructions.
Such Latinate inflections are in truth silly affectations best left to the cognoscenti. Other words betray the grammatically sloppy. One criterion, please note always, never one criteria, which is the plural form. Finally, put your pitchfork away and cut the DP a little slack this time. Conan Email me now , and I will put a response in writing lickety-split.