Thumbs up, thumbs down

Thumbs up to the UConn women’s basketball team. It didn’t end the way they wanted, but it was still a remarkable season for the Huskies. Hit by injuries to many key players, UConn found a way to rebound and advance to a record 14th consecutive Final Four and defeated No. 1 seed Stanford on their way to the championship game. Alas, South Carolina was too tall and too talented, and took home the title UConn had been aiming for. Still, there’s nothing to be ashamed of after another great season in Storrs. As for coach Geno Auriemma, an 11-1 record in title games is still pretty good.

Thumbs up to the return of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament to Stamford. We like to celebrate words in any form, but this is a particularly

unique event. It was the 44th edition of the tournament, and marked a return to the Stamford Marriott — where it originated in 1978 — after a virtual event in 2021 and a cancellation in 2000. It carried on under the direction of New York Times Crossword Puzzle Editor Will Shortz and concluded with another victory by seven-time champion Tyler Hinman. Hinman claimed a prize of $3,000.

Thumbs up to a proposal to automatically return unclaimed property to Connecticut residents. The state treasurer’s office keeps tabs on the list of unclaimed

property, which takes the form of forgotten bank accounts, insurance payments, paychecks and more, which in the past two decades has totaled more than $2.3 billion. Anyone with a rightful claim to the money is able to get ahold of it, but in the past that has required knowing that the money is available and working through the claims process. A bill proposed by state Treasurer Shawn Wooden would automatically cut checks to people for any individual with unclaimed property valued at less than $2,500. The bill should be passed.

Thumbs up to Connecticut Attorney General William Tong reminding state residents that they can report retailers suspected of not honoring the suspension

of the 25-cent gasoline tax. The average price of a gallon of regular gas was $4.31 on Monday, March 28, and $4.034 a week later, according to the AAA. Anyone suspected of charging some of that 25 cents at the pump can be reported to the attorney general’s office at dir.ct.gov/ag/complaint/. Shifting prices, of course, don’t necessary translate to gouging as prices fluctuate for other reasons, but Tong encourages anyone filing a complaint to hold onto their receipt.

Thumbs down to Access Health CT not reporting security breaches that exposed clients’ security data. It took a state audit to reveal that 44 breaches exposed

information from 1,100 people. Security challenges are troubling enough, but it’s jarring that these took place over nearly four years without public notification. Access Health handles the purchase of Obamacare plans for state residents. According to data from the Attorney General’s Office, the exchange has reported experiencing the most breaches of any Connecticut organization in recent years. The call center vendor, Faneuil, was cited in 34 of the cases, plus an additional three this year. Faneuil’s contract was renewed in August.