Start Spreading The News: What You Should Read Today [12/16/14]

The Sydney siege ended Monday, and Australia paid tribute to the two hostages killed during the standoff between police and self-styled Muslim cleric Man Haron Monis. In the U.S., the manhunt for Bradley William Stone, the alleged gunman in the Pennsylvania shooting spree that left six dead, will be closely followed Tuesday. Internationally, the ruble dropped dramatically and reached new lows against the dollar and euro. Here's what you should be reading today.

What A New Surgeon General Means For You

The U.S. Senate confirmed President Barack Obama's surgeon general nominee, Dr. Vivek Murthy, 37, on Monday. The position had been vacant for over a year, with Murthy's appointment stalled because of his stance on gun control and fierce opposition from Republicans. Quartz has a good primer on Murthy's views on obesity, smoking and mental illness. "Using 21st century approaches and technology, I hope my tenure, if I am confirmed as Surgeon General, will be one where we marshal partnerships across the country to address the epidemics of obesity and tobacco-related disease, to reduce the crippling stigma of mental illness, to roll back the resurgence of vaccine-preventable disease, and to make prevention and health promotion the backbone of our communities," Murthy wrote in his opening statement in February 2014.

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Class Of 2015

Lou Reed, Green Day, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble, Bill Withers, and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Artists are eligible 25 years after their first release, either album or EP. Green Day released their first EP in 1989 and it was the band's first time on the ballot. Reed is no stranger to the Hall of Fame as his band the Velvet Underground was inducted in 1996. The Hall also gave Ringo Starr the Award for Musical Excellence and the "5" Royals were given the Early Influence Award. Nine Inch Nails, the Smiths, Kraftwerk and N.W.A. did not make the cut.

The Tech Companies That Might Explore IPOs In 2015

Alibaba dominated the IPO talk of 2014, which also saw King, GoPro and Grubhub make their public debuts. CB Insights, an analytics firm, released its "2015 Tech IPO Pipeline Report" assessing 588 private tech companies that have raised big money in 2014 and may go public in 2015. Uber, Vice, Pantir, Square and SnapChat, Airbnb and Pinterest are just a few companies that may explore an IPO next year.

California Rights For Minors Act Goes Into Effect In 2015

Several high-profile hacking events in 2014 have heightened concerns about online privacy as more and more of our lives -- and our kids' lives -- are on the Internet. The California Rights for Minors in the Digital World Act addressing that very issue goes into effect Jan. 1. The act gives minors, users under the age of 18, the right to request the removal of any information or images posted online. Lydia Jones, adjunct professor of law at Vanderbilt University, explains why the act may be difficult to enforce, in an article for the Conversation.

Barbecue Around The World

Robert Battle, artistic director for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, discusses his tradition of seeking out great barbecue wherever he travels. In the New York Times article, Battle talks about eating ribs in Paris, his fear of flying and secret airport vices.