Unable to connect to the GitHub API

**Describe the bug**
Installed extension and got "Unable to connect to the GitHub API, please check your internet connection" message

**To Reproduce**
Steps to reproduce the behavior:
1. Install the extension

**Expected behavior**
I expected it to work with the current working copy of my repo.

**Extension Version**
`v0.31.3`

Start by reproducing the failure with extension version v0.31.3 after installing the extension in a repository working copy. Trace the GitHub API connection path and determine why the extension reports a network error; done means the extension connects successfully for the reported setup and the failure case has a regression test or documented reproduction.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.