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| Rogue Trip by Boris Johnson Aide Makes U.K.’s Spectator Part of the Story | Rogue Trip by Boris Johnson Aide Makes U.K.’s Spectator Part of the Story |
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| LONDON — When Boris Johnson became the editor of The Spectator in 1999, he declared that he planned to make the weekly magazine, Britain’s oldest, a “refuge for logic, fun, and good writing.” It would, he promised somewhat paradoxically, “continue to set the political agenda, and to debunk it.” | LONDON — When Boris Johnson became the editor of The Spectator in 1999, he declared that he planned to make the weekly magazine, Britain’s oldest, a “refuge for logic, fun, and good writing.” It would, he promised somewhat paradoxically, “continue to set the political agenda, and to debunk it.” |
| Now that Mr. Johnson is the prime minister, the magazine he once ran has never been closer to fulfilling his ambition of being at once in bed with Britain’s conservative establishment and willing to yank the covers off it. | Now that Mr. Johnson is the prime minister, the magazine he once ran has never been closer to fulfilling his ambition of being at once in bed with Britain’s conservative establishment and willing to yank the covers off it. |
| Yet in the past few weeks, The Spectator’s incestuous ties with the governing elite have thrust it into the murky heart of an uproar over a 260-mile drive that Mr. Johnson’s most influential adviser, Dominic Cummings, and his wife made to his parents’ house in northern England, violating Britain’s lockdown rules. | Yet in the past few weeks, The Spectator’s incestuous ties with the governing elite have thrust it into the murky heart of an uproar over a 260-mile drive that Mr. Johnson’s most influential adviser, Dominic Cummings, and his wife made to his parents’ house in northern England, violating Britain’s lockdown rules. |
| Mary Wakefield, one of the magazine’s senior editors, is married to Mr. Cummings and wrote a vivid account of how she and her husband both fell ill with the coronavirus. Mr. Cummings, she said, lay “doggo” in bed for 10 days before emerging into “the almost comical uncertainty of London lockdown.” | Mary Wakefield, one of the magazine’s senior editors, is married to Mr. Cummings and wrote a vivid account of how she and her husband both fell ill with the coronavirus. Mr. Cummings, she said, lay “doggo” in bed for 10 days before emerging into “the almost comical uncertainty of London lockdown.” |
| The trouble is, she did not mention that they had actually gone to Durham, a journey that brought charges of hypocrisy and calls for Mr. Johnson to dismiss Mr. Cummings, at a time when the government was already under fire for Britain’s rising death toll, ravaged nursing homes and hapless test-and-trace program. | The trouble is, she did not mention that they had actually gone to Durham, a journey that brought charges of hypocrisy and calls for Mr. Johnson to dismiss Mr. Cummings, at a time when the government was already under fire for Britain’s rising death toll, ravaged nursing homes and hapless test-and-trace program. |
| Ms. Wakefield’s omissions have cast an unflattering light on The Spectator as well. Critics have accused it of misleading readers. Britain’s Independent Press Standards Organization, a watchdog group, has received more than 100 complaints from the public about the column, which, pending an investigation, could force the magazine to publish a correction. | Ms. Wakefield’s omissions have cast an unflattering light on The Spectator as well. Critics have accused it of misleading readers. Britain’s Independent Press Standards Organization, a watchdog group, has received more than 100 complaints from the public about the column, which, pending an investigation, could force the magazine to publish a correction. |
| “The English tradition of editing has always been more laissez faire than the American one,” said Timothy Garton Ash, a historian at Oxford University and longtime contributor to The Spectator. “But there was too much latitude in this case.” | “The English tradition of editing has always been more laissez faire than the American one,” said Timothy Garton Ash, a historian at Oxford University and longtime contributor to The Spectator. “But there was too much latitude in this case.” |
| The Spectator’s current editor, Fraser Nelson, declined to discuss the contretemps, and Ms. Wakefield, who has since assigned stories critical of her husband, did not return a request for comment. | The Spectator’s current editor, Fraser Nelson, declined to discuss the contretemps, and Ms. Wakefield, who has since assigned stories critical of her husband, did not return a request for comment. |
| A spokesman for the magazine said, “We’re happy to let the coverage speak for itself” — a standard-issue response that in this case might accurately convey the magazine’s sentiments, given the streak of mischief in its culture. | A spokesman for the magazine said, “We’re happy to let the coverage speak for itself” — a standard-issue response that in this case might accurately convey the magazine’s sentiments, given the streak of mischief in its culture. |
| “They’d be amused by the notoriety,” said Andrew Gimson, a former foreign editor of The Spectator who wrote a biography of Mr. Johnson. “They’ve always had a tradition of allowing people leeway and laughing at mistakes.” | “They’d be amused by the notoriety,” said Andrew Gimson, a former foreign editor of The Spectator who wrote a biography of Mr. Johnson. “They’ve always had a tradition of allowing people leeway and laughing at mistakes.” |
| At once high-minded and playful, conservative and louche, The Spectator occupies a peculiar niche in British media. It has only 83,000 print and digital subscribers, but an outsize influence because of its 192-year history, legacy of acclaimed writers (Christopher Hitchens, A.N. Wilson, Jeffrey Bernard), and reputation as an incubator for Conservative Party leaders, from Mr. Johnson to Nigel Lawson, who edited the magazine in the 1960s and went on to become chancellor of the Exchequer. | At once high-minded and playful, conservative and louche, The Spectator occupies a peculiar niche in British media. It has only 83,000 print and digital subscribers, but an outsize influence because of its 192-year history, legacy of acclaimed writers (Christopher Hitchens, A.N. Wilson, Jeffrey Bernard), and reputation as an incubator for Conservative Party leaders, from Mr. Johnson to Nigel Lawson, who edited the magazine in the 1960s and went on to become chancellor of the Exchequer. |
| With offices in a stately Westminster townhouse, where the leather chairs and bookcases are more redolent of an Oxford college than a 21st century news organization, the magazine is famous for its summer party. No food, but the champagne flows freely and the guest list, one writer cracked, can range from cabinet ministers and famous authors to a “Catholic monsignor, aged 106.” | With offices in a stately Westminster townhouse, where the leather chairs and bookcases are more redolent of an Oxford college than a 21st century news organization, the magazine is famous for its summer party. No food, but the champagne flows freely and the guest list, one writer cracked, can range from cabinet ministers and famous authors to a “Catholic monsignor, aged 106.” |
| During Mr. Johnson’s editorship, when he also won a seat in Parliament, he and other editors carried on a tangle of extramarital affairs in the office, prompting The Spectator’s Fleet Street rivals to nickname it The Sextator. | During Mr. Johnson’s editorship, when he also won a seat in Parliament, he and other editors carried on a tangle of extramarital affairs in the office, prompting The Spectator’s Fleet Street rivals to nickname it The Sextator. |
| Colleagues of Mr. Johnson say he always enjoyed a good joke, sometimes at the expense of other publications. In 2002, when The New York Times sent a photographer to shoot a portrait of Mr. Johnson, he tried to get Mr. Gimson to sit in his chair and impersonate him. The Spectator’s publisher “got wind of this childish prank, was not amused by it and put a stop to it,” Mr. Gimson recalled. | Colleagues of Mr. Johnson say he always enjoyed a good joke, sometimes at the expense of other publications. In 2002, when The New York Times sent a photographer to shoot a portrait of Mr. Johnson, he tried to get Mr. Gimson to sit in his chair and impersonate him. The Spectator’s publisher “got wind of this childish prank, was not amused by it and put a stop to it,” Mr. Gimson recalled. |
| As Alexander Chancellor, one of its most storied editors, once said, “The Spectator is more of a cocktail party than a political party.” | As Alexander Chancellor, one of its most storied editors, once said, “The Spectator is more of a cocktail party than a political party.” |
| And yet, under Mr. Nelson, its Scottish editor who went to the University of Glasgow rather than Oxford, the magazine has tried to be more sober and balanced. It has published several tough articles about Mr. Johnson and the Cummings affair, including at least one commissioned by Ms. Wakefield, according to the writer Anthony Horowitz, who is a critic of the government. And it published a piece by its Scotland editor, Alex Massie, that declared, “Boris isn’t fit to lead.” | And yet, under Mr. Nelson, its Scottish editor who went to the University of Glasgow rather than Oxford, the magazine has tried to be more sober and balanced. It has published several tough articles about Mr. Johnson and the Cummings affair, including at least one commissioned by Ms. Wakefield, according to the writer Anthony Horowitz, who is a critic of the government. And it published a piece by its Scotland editor, Alex Massie, that declared, “Boris isn’t fit to lead.” |
| The Spectator sponsors a Parliamentarian of the Year award that has become a fixture in the political calendar. Mr. Nelson and his political reporters are well connected in political circles, and often break stories about the government. Current and former staff members say they doubt Mr. Nelson knew about Ms. Wakefield’s travels before publishing her column, though they have not discussed it with him. | The Spectator sponsors a Parliamentarian of the Year award that has become a fixture in the political calendar. Mr. Nelson and his political reporters are well connected in political circles, and often break stories about the government. Current and former staff members say they doubt Mr. Nelson knew about Ms. Wakefield’s travels before publishing her column, though they have not discussed it with him. |
| “It’s a very serious professional operation pretending to be a bunch of champagne dilettantes,” said James Kirkup, a writer for the magazine. “If it were just a Tory mouthpiece, it wouldn’t be very interesting or successful.” | “It’s a very serious professional operation pretending to be a bunch of champagne dilettantes,” said James Kirkup, a writer for the magazine. “If it were just a Tory mouthpiece, it wouldn’t be very interesting or successful.” |
| Still, the magazine’s ties to the government are an undeniable part of its cachet, and Mr. Johnson’s rascally spirit animates both. The two “share a degree of stylistic and cultural affinity, through their unflappable confidence and their propensity for mischief,” said Sophia Gaston, director of the British Foreign Policy Group and a fellow at the London School of Economics. | Still, the magazine’s ties to the government are an undeniable part of its cachet, and Mr. Johnson’s rascally spirit animates both. The two “share a degree of stylistic and cultural affinity, through their unflappable confidence and their propensity for mischief,” said Sophia Gaston, director of the British Foreign Policy Group and a fellow at the London School of Economics. |
| Updated June 30, 2020 | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. | Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| Not everyone is beguiled. | Not everyone is beguiled. |
| Simon Jenkins, a former editor of The Times of London, said the influence of weekly magazines was waning in general, with the emergence of digital rivals like UnHerd, a website that has published provocative pieces about the pandemic. “The peculiarity of The Spectator is, quite simply, Boris Johnson,” he said. | Simon Jenkins, a former editor of The Times of London, said the influence of weekly magazines was waning in general, with the emergence of digital rivals like UnHerd, a website that has published provocative pieces about the pandemic. “The peculiarity of The Spectator is, quite simply, Boris Johnson,” he said. |
| Professor Garton Ash said the magazine had become more of a “house journal for Brexiteers” since the 2016 referendum on European Union membership, even if it has held on to its irreverent tone and good writing. | Professor Garton Ash said the magazine had become more of a “house journal for Brexiteers” since the 2016 referendum on European Union membership, even if it has held on to its irreverent tone and good writing. |
| Since 2004, The Spectator has been owned by the Barclay brothers, David and Frederick. Reclusive billionaires who are best known these days for feuding with each other, the Barclays hold staunch pro-Brexit views. But staff members say they are less involved in the magazine than in their other media property, The Daily Telegraph. | Since 2004, The Spectator has been owned by the Barclay brothers, David and Frederick. Reclusive billionaires who are best known these days for feuding with each other, the Barclays hold staunch pro-Brexit views. But staff members say they are less involved in the magazine than in their other media property, The Daily Telegraph. |
| It’s not clear if the magazine’s bosses were amused by its cameo role in the Cummings affair. Andrew Neil, whom the Barclays installed as chairman of its parent company, retweeted a post in which a Times of London columnist labeled Ms. Wakefield’s column “a piece of noble deception.” Mr. Neil referred questions to Mr. Nelson, saying, “He’s responsible for the content of the magazine.” | It’s not clear if the magazine’s bosses were amused by its cameo role in the Cummings affair. Andrew Neil, whom the Barclays installed as chairman of its parent company, retweeted a post in which a Times of London columnist labeled Ms. Wakefield’s column “a piece of noble deception.” Mr. Neil referred questions to Mr. Nelson, saying, “He’s responsible for the content of the magazine.” |
| So far, the only person who has stepped forward with an explanation is Mr. Cummings, who contributed a short piece of his own to The Spectator, which also skipped over the Durham trip. He defended the omission because, he said, his family had received threats in their London home. | So far, the only person who has stepped forward with an explanation is Mr. Cummings, who contributed a short piece of his own to The Spectator, which also skipped over the Durham trip. He defended the omission because, he said, his family had received threats in their London home. |
| “Why on earth would I mention another house I was in, where I’ve got two elderly parents and other relatives living there?” he said during a session with reporters in the garden at 10 Downing Street. | “Why on earth would I mention another house I was in, where I’ve got two elderly parents and other relatives living there?” he said during a session with reporters in the garden at 10 Downing Street. |
| Then why, a reporter pressed Mr. Cummings, write an article at all? | Then why, a reporter pressed Mr. Cummings, write an article at all? |
| “My wife’s a writer,” he replied. “I don’t tell her what to do.” | “My wife’s a writer,” he replied. “I don’t tell her what to do.” |