A newly-surfaced video shows trans-identified Biden administration official Dr. Rachel Levine publicly calling for social media and other tech platforms to crack down on "misinformation" about puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and irreversible sex-change surgeries. In the May 27 video, Levine, the first openly trans-identified federal official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate under a presidential administration, advocates for healthcare workers to pressure media companies to fight for the "health equity of sexual and gender minorities." Levine's comments came during the virtual presentation at the Federation of State Medical Board’s 110th annual meeting in New Orleans, with Levine warning about what he described as "substantial misinformation about gender-affirming care for transgender and gender-diverse individuals." The Biden official also claimed that "gender-affirming care for youth and adults is not in scientific or medical dispute," despite medical boards in Florida and other states moving to ban experimental medicalization of gender-dysphoric youth who are often prescribed puberty-blockers, cross-sex hormones and even encouraged to undergo irreversible body-mutilating surgeries. The video came to light after a Washington Examiner report found that Levine requested research in 2017 to support sex-change surgeries for minors. Read more.

David N. O'Steen will step down from his role as the executive director of the nation's oldest and largest pro-life organization in 2023 and shift to working with the group in an advisory capacity. "Words cannot adequately express our gratitude to Dr. David O'Steen for his unwavering dedication to the cause of life and his extraordinary leadership of National Right to Life and the right-to-life movement," Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, said of O'Steen, who held the role for 38 years. Under O'Steen's leadership, NRLC has been among pro-life groups at the forefront of pursuing state and federal legislative initiatives like the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act and the Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act. The organization also credits O'Steen with expanding its capacity to reach minorities, younger generations, and women wounded by abortion by overseeing the establishment of outreach groups such as Black Americans for Life, National Teens for Life and American Victims of Abortion. Read more.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has released an updated clinical report detailing how physicians can recognize child victims of human trafficking, noting how enforcement measures aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 likely increased the risks of trafficking. Lead author Dr. Jordan Greenbaum highlighted how pandemic-related lockdowns and travel restrictions isolated families and led to income losses, increasing some children’s vulnerability to trafficking. The report outlines several "red flags" that physicians can look for to determine whether a child is a victim of trafficking, including a domineering guardian or a parent that refuses to let the child answer questions, as well as malnutrition, signs of injury, or a history of abortions. Read more.

Pastor Dan Delzell discusses Paul's writings to the Galatians, particularly concerning joy. Reflecting on passages such as Galatians 4:15, Delzell notes that they lost their joy when they began to rely upon the law in order to be justified before God. If you believe you have been robbed of joy, Delzell recommends asking yourself whether you trust in the death of Jesus on the cross as full payment for your sins and whether you are deliberately sinning against God's Word in any areas of your Christian life. "If you have been robbed of joy, you can get it back. But you will need to humble yourself before your Savior and receive the forgiveness God grants to those who 'repent and believe the good news' (Mark 1:15). And then sincerely seek to 'find out what pleases the Lord' (Ephesians 5:10)," Delzell concludes. Read more.

Friday Tidings blogger Karen Farris encourages believers to participate in the "Dry January" challenge by abstaining from alcohol consumption in the month of January. Noting that the Bible does not require Christians to abstain from alcohol, Farris explains there are many verses that warn about alcohol abuse (e.g. Proverbs 20:1, Isaiah 5:22, Ephesians 5:18), adding, "As Christians, we possess a higher calling to honor God and to be set apart from the world. This includes senseless alcohol consumption." Read more.

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A number of influential Christians passed away in 2022. This article from CP looks at the lives of ten prominent Christians who died this year, including Maranatha Chapel's Ray Bentley, CBN's Dede Robertson, Abyssinian Baptist Church's Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, and Canadian Pastor Leon Fontaine. Read more.

Brittni De La Mora once worked in the porn industry but ultimately surrendered her life to Christ. In this episode of the "Let's Talk Purity" podcast, De La Mora and her husband, Rev. Richard De La Mora, share how Christians can walk into the new year with a Romans 8:28 type of confidence regardless of what sinful struggles they faced in 2022. "We're at the end of the year. And maybe things haven't necessarily gone your way or you've just been in this mess that you can't seem to get yourself out of. Maybe you've been surrounded by darkness or maybe you've lost some hope because your life doesn't look the way that you thought that it would look. … I just want to encourage you and remind you today that the puzzle pieces of your life are going to come together," says Brittni. Listen now.

Christian artist Lauren Daigle donated over $600,000 to charities across the country through her organization The Price Fund, which seeks to provide care for children, the elderly and those in need. Recipients included the New Orleans’ Ellis Marsalis Center, Roots of Music, NOCCA, KidSmart and Young Audiences of Louisiana, with the Gospel Music Association noting the "You Say" singer's donations over the last several months have been to organizations that benefit children and youth and the performing arts communities. In total, she donated $681,000 to charities for the fall 2022 season. Read more.