89.3 The Current and the Citizens League present "Policy and a Pint: Threats to American Security" July 14 at the Varsity Theater, Minneapolis

Jun 29, 2009

WHAT: While most Americans name countries or terrorist groups as potential threats to American security, the reality is that the United States also faces very different kinds of lesser known threats. The Current and the Citizens League host a discussion about the looming crises America may eventually face.

For this installment of the "Policy and a Pint" series, 89.3 The Current's Steve Seel discusses how our national security is not just a question of which country harbors our enemies, but also of how well we protect public health and our food supply. He will be joined by guest Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the U of M, who urges Americans to rethink the question: "Where do the dangers lay for the United States?"

About Dr. Michael Osterholm: Dr. Michael Osterholm is director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, director of the NIH-supported Minnesota Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance, a professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences, and an adjunct professor in the Medical School, University of Minnesota. He is also a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In June 2005 Dr. Osterholm was appointed by Michael Leavitt, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, to the newly established National Science Advisory Board on Biosecurity. In October 2008, he was appointed to the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Pandemics; he serves as chair of that council.

Previously, Dr. Osterholm served as the Minnesota state epidemiologist. He is the author of a New York Times best-selling book, "Living Terrors: What America Needs to Know to Survive the Coming Bioterrorist Catastrophe."

WHEN: Tuesday, July 14. Doors are at 5:30 p.m.; the program starts at 6 p.m.

WHERE: The Varsity Theater, 1308 4th St. SE, Minneapolis

TICKETS: $10; $5 for students with valid ID. To reserve tickets, go to the Citizens League Web site: http://www.citizensleague.org/events/

About Policy and a Pint "Policy and a Pint" is an ongoing series co-sponsored by Minnesota Public Radio's 89.3 The Current and Citizens League. The series' goal is to provide an informal setting for the public to come and discuss important policy issues with community leaders and thinkers.