Why are Rhode Islanders so frustrated about politics? The answers include questions about competence in state government – as demonstrated by the Washington Bridge, hyper-partisanship, the influence of money in politics, and other factors. This one-hour panel discussion, inspired in part by Fall River native E.J. Dionne Jr.,'s 1991 book, Why Americans Hate Politics, took place Oct. 8 at the Providence Athenaeum. It was moderated by Ocean State Media political reporter Ian Donnis and featured state Rep. Megan Cotter, a Democrat who represents a purple district based in Exeter, former Cranston Mayor Allan Fung, who who left the GOP earlier this year to become an independent, and Eric Patashnik, director of the Taubman Center for American Politics and Policy at Brown University.

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The latest report card is out for RI schools, and student achievement is flat. Data from the Department of Education shows most students are still falling short of proficiency in math and English. Yet, Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green calls the results "impressive." Ian Donnis breaks down the scores with Infante-Green and discusses a growing crisis: shrinking student attention spans.

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According to a new poll, independent gubernatorial hopeful Ken Block is narrowing the gap against Democrat Helena Foulkes, and the Lieutenant Governor race is a dead heat. "Lively" host Jim Hummel explores whether Republican Lt. Gov. candidate
John Loughlin can finally snap the GOP's long losing streak in Rhode Island with Boston Globe columnist Dan McGowan and Providence Journal reporter Patrick Anderson.

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