Thumbs up, thumbs down

Thumbs down to the University of Connecticut athletic department’s explanation of its efforts to address a deficit that now stands at $42.3 million. “The bottom-line figure is not a comprehensive illustration of the many ways in which UConn Athletics continues to work toward greater financial self-sufficiency over time,” the school offered in a statement. There is so much wrong with that sentence, but the stunner is “working toward greater self-sufficiency.” An athletic department of this scale, with two basketball programs that are the envy of many other colleges, should be able to sustain itself without covering its debt partially through $8.8 million in student fees. Sports comes down to winning and losing, and UConn doesn’t seem to recognize these losses with appropriate urgency.

Thumbs down to the continuing saga of Robert Hyde, apparent candidate for Congress in Connecticut’s Fifth District and someone who is now tied up in the Trump-Ukraine scandal. Since his name first surfaced in texts with associates of Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani regarding alleged surveillance of a former Ukraine ambassador, little in the way of a concrete explanation for how Hyde came to be involved in international intrigue has come to light, or whether it is even true. What is verifiable is disturbing enough, but one of the strangest stories in recent Connecticut politics still has many more questions than answers.

Thumbs up to the participants in Women’s Marches throughout Connecticut Saturday. The events may be more low-key than the inaugural ones in 2017, but they continue to draw welcome passion and participation. Among those year’s events were marches that took first steps from the steps of Bridgeport Superior Court, Stamford Government Center, state Superior Court in New Haven and the State Capitol in Hartford. The true impact of the marches has been felt in local and state races that drew candidates seeking — and claiming — office for the first time.

Thumbs up to Connecticut patents reaching new heights on 2019. For the first time, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office awarded more than 5,000 patents to inventors in the state. Connecticut companies, meanwhile, were assigned 3,000 patents for the second straight year. In the last 35 years, state companies averaged about 2,300 patents. Both figures represent hopeful indicators that Connecticut is heading in the right direction in defining itself as a hub of innovation.

Thumbs down to the flu seeming to gain momentum in the week ending Jan. 11, including six related deaths and a spike of people testing positive from 1,613 to 3,281. Stamford Health’s director of infectious diseases noted ominously that recent flu patients have covered the spectrum of the population, from infants to the elderly. It’s a reminder to everyone to take care of themselves, which could also spare others. Experts continue to stress the importance of getting a flu shot.

Thumbs up to Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin for calling out state policies that keep Connecticut cities segregated. Because most wealthier suburbs restrict subsidized affordable housing, poverty is concentrated in cities like Hartford, which become the only place many people can afford to live. With most housing decisions made on the local level, it’s up to the state to see that wider policy becomes more inclusive for everyone.

Women's March Connecticut organized a rally in front of New Haven Superior Court Saturday. The New Haven rally focused on reproductive justice, LGBTQ rights and racial justice.