Morning Must Reads: December 11

Here’s the New Way Colleges Are Predicting Student Grades

U.S. schools are combing through years of data covering millions of grades earned by thousands of former students to gauge the probability that a student will finish school, and prop up those who might not by sending academic advisers or deans to intervene

Congress Hands a Mixed Bag to Marijuana Movement

The year-end spending bill gives momentum to the marijuana legalization movement, plus a painful setback

Why Uber’s Rape Scandal Is More Than a ‘Growing Pain’

Uber’s breakneck growth isn’t an excuse for the controversial rideshare and taxi service’s problems, TIME’s Jack Linshi writes

White House Salutes TIME’s Person of the Year

W.H. Press Secretary Josh Earnest congratulated Ebola responders Wednesday for being named TIME’s Person of the Year. “The President could not be prouder of the brave men and women who’ve committed themselves to this effort in a foreign land,” Earnest said

Hong Kong’s Main Democracy Protest Camp Falls

Authorities began clearing Hong Kong’s largest protest camp on Thursday, putting an end to a street occupation that has been a flashpoint for a bitter confrontation between pro-democracy protesters and city authorities, as well as the central government in Beijing

Dick Cheney Says Senate Torture Report Is ‘Full of Crap’

Former Vice President Dick Cheney called the recently released report on the CIA’s use of torture after 9/11 a “terrible piece of work,” in an interview that aired on Wednesday, “We did exactly what needed to be done,” Cheney said

Ebola Rages on in Sierra Leone With Over 1,000 New Cases

Sierra Leone has reported 1,319 new cases of Ebola virus infections in the last 21 days, according to WHO. The country has surpassed Liberia, which has experienced a steady decrease in cases over the last four weeks

NFL Owners Approve Revamped Personal Conduct Policy

Owners voted to approve a revamped personal conduct policy after scrutiny for the league’s handling of the Ray Rice domestic violence scandal. Commissioner Roger Goodell had acknowledged that under the previous policy, “our penalties didn’t fit the crimes”

U.S. Support of Guns Is Up After 2012 School Shooting

Americans’ opinions on gun rights have shifted further into the “pro” column since the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, which is approaching its second anniversary this month, according to new data from the Pew Research Center

eBay Is Said to Mull Big Layoffs Ahead of PayPal Split

The online marketplace is reportedly considering a plan to lay off as much as 10% of its workforce in anticipation of its planned split with online payment processing service PayPal by mid-2015, according to a new report citing company insiders

Survey: Most Millionaires Want Hillary Clinton for President

Hillary Clinton polled the most votes in a new survey that asked 500 U.S. millionaires whom they would choose for President. She came in a comfortable front-runner at 31%. Second was Jeb Bush with 18%, and the remaining votes were split between seven other politicians

Bill Cosby Accuser Files Defamation Lawsuit

A retired California attorney who says the comedian and actor drugged and groped her more than four decades ago filed a defamation lawsuit on Wednesday, claiming he “impugned” her reputation and exposed her to “public contempt, ridicule, aversion or disgrace”

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