Statues of former US presidents in Croaker, Virginia. Photograph: Randy Duchaine/AlamyBefore the 17th century, people did not think of themselves as belonging to something called the white race. But once the idea was invented, it quickly began to reshape the modern world by Robert P BairdIn 2008, a satirical blog called Stuff White People Like became a brief but boisterous sensation. The conceit was straightforward, coupling a list, eventually 136 items long, of stuff that white people liked to do or own, with faux-ethnographic descriptions that explained each item’s purported racial appeal.

Book of the daySociety booksReviewDo racism and sexism really exist, or are they just the creation of angry lefties? The bizarre fantasies of a rightwing provocateur, blind to oppression Being stuck in a culture war is a bit like being a driver stuck in a traffic jam. From within one’s own car, the absurdity and injustice of the situation is abundantly plain. Other drivers can be seen cutting in, changing lanes excessively, and getting worked up.

Religion This article is more than 14 years oldVicar warns of satanic activity after finding sheep's head 'offering'This article is more than 14 years oldGloucestershire parish hit by spate of mutilated animal carcasses being foundA vicar has warned his congregation of an increase in "satanic activity" after he found a severed sheep's head mounted on a pole outside a church in his Gloucestershire parish. The Rev Nick Bromfield warned that "

Black Crowes, Amorica When Amorica was released by Universal in 1994, replete with pubic hair, there was immediate uproar. Under pressure from powerfully conservative retail chains, the band was forced to accept a substitute. Banned album covers ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEoKyaqpSerq96wqikaJmiqcBwvMicq66qlah8qrnAoJxoaFxtgnV%2Fi2ZoaXBgaYZzhJhscGVoYGO1tbnL

The US politics sketchBiden administrationYoung fans peer through the gates while K-pop sensations meet the president and address the press They braved sweltering heat, they pressed their faces to the fence, they clutched cameraphones in the hope of glimpsing their idols. The dozens of young fans at the White House gates resembled a pop concert on Tuesday – but the adulation was not for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, whose approval ratings are on the slide.