If you subscribe to our e-newsletter you already know about a program we're presenting with our colleagues at the Citizen's League. It has the name "Policy and a Pint" and it's an effort to bring interesting, hot button, policy topics to light in an informal (and civil) setting. Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page will join The Current's host Steve Seel to talk about why the appointment of a new US Supreme Court Justice is important and how the process works. He'll answer questions such as

- How does the Supreme Court work and what does it do?

- Outside the controversial and polarizing issues we all know about, why does the appointment of a new Supreme Court Justice matter?

- What do citizens need to know about the upcoming appointment process - and what aren't the ideological extremes telling us?

Then listeners can ask questions, mingle, talk politics, and listen to music from The Current. "Policy and a Pint" happens Monday August 8th at 6pm at Solera in downtown Minneapolis. Reservations are available when you click on The Current at Minnesota Public Radio dot org or call the Citizen's League at 651-293-0575, ext. 10). Doors open at 5:00 PM and admission is $10. This event is part of The Current's mission is to inform and activate listeners to become involved citizens.

While we're thinking about policy - I'm just back from Washington, D.C. where, among other things, I had a chance to visit the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. They have issued a Request for Proposals for music programming in public radio and of course that is of high interest to us.