Which is why you should be using Tor to read it. You shouldn't accept someone's attempt to subvert your right to the freedom to read. Fear tactics like that shouldn't be accepted. Besides, everyone is already in NSA's database. Looking up Tor just adds more data that can be correlated with you later. On the plus side, if you then go on to use Tor, that's the last piece of data that can be correlated with you (assuming good enough opsec).
EDIT: As I send this, the app I'm using (Materialistic) isn't able to access the HN API when I'm using Orbot with transparent proxying. That's really annoying.
I'm not sure tracking privacy-seekers is a fear tactic. It may have more to do with consolidating bureaucratic power -- the more an agency can collect, the more convincing it can be when it asks congress for money.
TAILS solves the problem of your individual privacy, but if you care about privacy in general you need to engage politically. Increasing TAILS use without increasing letters to congress increases the odds of anti-privacy legislation.
Try hitting one of the API endpoints with something else while connected via Tor. I noticed swathes of sites responding with 403/401 when I browsed via Tor.
EDIT: As I send this, the app I'm using (Materialistic) isn't able to access the HN API when I'm using Orbot with transparent proxying. That's really annoying.