World has a stirring interview with a guy working to get alcoholics and other addicts on their feet (subscription required). “Misdirected compassion was keeping those people on the streets and killing them on the installment plan, a little every day,” said Bob Cote of the organization Step 13. He said the holidays are a bad time for pan-handlers, because $10 from someone trying to be compassionate can enable them to kill themselves. “They’ll get drunk, get hit by a car, or maybe freeze to death,” he said.