Direct link to the picture [https://static01.nyt.com/images/2019/11/27/arts/00venus5/mer...]

Pretty clearly a 6.

It could just as easily be a 5 considering the "bulb" isn't connected

It's definitely a 5. I would expect that they'd use the same tool to cast the '9' as they would the '6' (just turned 180 degrees), and the character in question pretty clearly has a different angle connecting the "bulb" to the "feather" than the '9' in the year.

Plus it looks like the "5" in the "25" below it.

i agree. look at how similar the other 5 is below it. that's the style they used for 5 it seems. I am not an expert but it's convincing enough to me.

Blocking javascript also seems to work, but only the first image will be shown.

Missing all but the first picture, but all the text is there: https://outline.com/26TYrk

For me in Firefox this hack works only by hitting F5 after entering "reader view".

Or press the pause button before the page finishes loading.

Works on iOS safari using reader mode.