February 13, 2026

Now, on to the news…

For years, doctors have argued that “gender-affirming care” could help trans-identifying patients suffering from depression. “They presented this view as the scientific consensus,” Christina Buttons writes, “and that view has shaped policy debates about how readily these interventions should be offered and under what—if any—safeguards.”

A new study from Hong Kong, however, challenges this thinking. Researchers followed 178 adults, nearly half of whom were “female-to-male.” The other main portion were “male-to-female,” and a smaller cohort identified as “non-binary.” They were divided into groups based on their hormone status and duration of use, as well as whether they had had surgery.

“Neither surgery nor cross-sex hormones significantly reduced depression, anxiety, or stress once coping and social support were included in the statistical models,” Buttons writes. “Instead, it was those psychosocial factors that proved the strongest predictors of patients’ mental health.”

Read more about the study.

Since the early 2000s, the number of nonprofit donors has been shrinking. Meantime, fewer than 20 percent of Americans think the sector is heading in the right direction.

Could it have something to do with philanthropy’s radical shift to DEI ideology? Quite possibly, James Piereson and Naomi Schaefer Riley write. Read their take on one nonprofit’s pivot in focus from health care to racial equity, and how it illustrates activists’ capture of the sector.

Leor Sapir and Rafael Mangual dive into one of the most polarizing issues of our time: gender ideology. They explore how gender discourse evolved over the past decade, including cultural and policy shifts during the Obama administration, and how these developments reshaped institutions, media narratives, and social norms. A major focus of their conversation is the medical treatment of gender dysphoria in youth.

“Welcome to the my-feelings-are-so-so-important generations. It’s everywhere . . . entertainers, athletes, ‘influencers,’ activists, teachers, politicians, Madison Avenue. They don’t care that they generally are either uneducated or miseducated. They care about social capital: saying the right words to win snaps. They’re only too happy to ignore real world problems and consequences. It’s sad the direction the country is taking, IMO.”

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chris_zzz, commenting on the Olympics

Photo credit: Jordan Lye / Moment via Getty Images