diff --git a/github_stats.py b/github_stats.py
index b663896e942..36d4dcfe2e1 100644
--- a/github_stats.py
+++ b/github_stats.py
@@ -41,25 +41,18 @@ async def query(self, generated_query: str) -> Dict:
         headers = {
             "Authorization": f"Bearer {self.access_token}",
         }
+        url = "https://api.github.com/graphql"
         try:
             async with self.semaphore:
-                r_async = await self.session.post(
-                    "https://api.github.com/graphql",
-                    headers=headers,
-                    json={"query": generated_query},
-                )
+                r_async = await self.session.post(url, headers=headers, json={"query": generated_query})
             result = await r_async.json()
             if result is not None:
                 return result
-        except:
-            print("aiohttp failed for GraphQL query")
+        except Exception as e:
+            print(f"Async failed for GraphQL query: {str(e)}")
             # Fall back on non-async requests
             async with self.semaphore:
-                r_requests = requests.post(
-                    "https://api.github.com/graphql",
-                    headers=headers,
-                    json={"query": generated_query},
-                )
+                r_requests = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json={"query": generated_query},)
                 result = r_requests.json()
                 if result is not None:
                     return result
@@ -81,39 +74,29 @@ async def query_rest(self, path: str, params: Optional[Dict] = None) -> Dict:
                 params = dict()
             if path.startswith("/"):
                 path = path[1:]
+            url = f"https://api.github.com/{path}"
             try:
                 async with self.semaphore:
-                    r_async = await self.session.get(
-                        f"https://api.github.com/{path}",
-                        headers=headers,
-                        params=tuple(params.items()),
-                    )
-                if r_async.status == 202:
-                    # print(f"{path} returned 202. Retrying...")
-                    print(f"A path returned 202. Retrying...")
-                    await asyncio.sleep(2)
-                    continue
-
-                result = await r_async.json()
-                if result is not None:
-                    return result
-            except:
-                print("aiohttp failed for rest query")
+                    r = await self.session.get(url, headers=headers, params=tuple(params.items()))
+                if r.status == 200:
+                    result = await r.json()
+                    if result is not None:
+                        return result
+                print(f"Async get {url} returned static code {r.status}. After 2 seconds retrying...")
+                await asyncio.sleep(2)
+                continue
+            except Exception as e:
+                print(f"Async failed for rest query: {str(e)}")
                 # Fall back on non-async requests
                 async with self.semaphore:
-                    r_requests = requests.get(
-                        f"https://api.github.com/{path}",
-                        headers=headers,
-                        params=tuple(params.items()),
-                    )
-                    if r_requests.status_code == 202:
-                        print(f"A path returned 202. Retrying...")
-                        await asyncio.sleep(2)
-                        continue
-                    elif r_requests.status_code == 200:
+                    r_requests = requests.get(url, headers=headers, params=tuple(params.items()))
+                    if r_requests.status_code == 200:
                         return r_requests.json()
+                    print(f"Sync get {url} returned static code {r_requests.status_code}. After 2 seconds retrying...")
+                    await asyncio.sleep(2)
+                    continue
         # print(f"There were too many 202s. Data for {path} will be incomplete.")
-        print("There were too many 202s. Data for this repository will be incomplete.")
+        print("TThere are too many access failures. Data for this repository will be incomplete.")
         return dict()
 
     @staticmethod