Connections

How bad is the affordability crisis?

By Evan Dawson,

Megan Mack, Julie Williams

Published February 17, 2026 at 4:52 PM EST

Two men wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a bald man at left is wearing a navy blazer over a white button-down shirt; a man at right has short dark hair and is wearing a blue button-down shirt. — Eric Morris with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Economist Eric Morris joins us this hour to break down recent trends in inflation, as well as trends in earnings.

We explore the cost of housing, the cost of groceries, the cost of energy, and other factors that are creating deep frustration in the American people.

In studio:

Eric Morris, portfolio manager and staff economist for Alesco Advisors, LLC

Connections

Evan Dawson

Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.

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Megan Mack

Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.

See stories by Megan Mack

Julie Williams

Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.

See stories by Julie Williams