2 dolphins euthanized after stranding on beach
HONOLULU — Marine wildlife officials said Tuesday they euthanized two dolphins that stranded on a Maui beach, less than a month after another mass stranding in the same area.
The bodies of the two pygmy killer whales were being flown to Oahu for post-mortem examination by the University of Hawaii, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Agency officials were monitoring four other members of the same species that are milling close to shore at Sugar Beach in Kihei.
Pygmy killer whales are dolphins that are often confused with false killer whales and melon-headed whales. The species is found primarily in deep waters throughout tropical and subtropical areas of the world.
Five marine mammals died after a mass stranding of 11 animals along the same beach in late August. Four of the five dead were euthanized. The fifth, a calf, was found dead.
NOAA officials initially reported the animals from the August stranding were melon-headed whales.
Gabbard qualifies for next Democratic presidential debate
HONOLULU — Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii qualified for the next Democratic Party presidential debate after failing to make the threshold for the last one.
A Monmouth University poll released Tuesday shows Gabbard has the support of 2% of registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters likely to participate in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary in February.
To earn a spot in the mid-October debate, candidates must receive 2% or more support in at least four recognized polls. Candidates must also have donations from at least 130,000 unique donors and 400 unique donors in at least 20 states.
Criteria will be stricter for November’s debate. Candidates will need at least 3% support in four national or single-state polls and 5% in two single-state polls. Candidates will need at least 165,000 unique donors.
Defense attorney files assault complaint against prosecutor
HONOLULU — A Honolulu defense attorney is accusing a deputy prosecutor of assaulting him in a court hallway.
Attorney Myles Breiner filed a complaint with the state Sheriff Division against a deputy prosecutor he was negotiating with in an attempted murder case.
In the complaint, Breiner says the prosecutor on Wednesday challenged him to a fight, slammed into his body, shoved hard on his shoulders and took a fighting stance.
The deputy prosecutor accused Breiner of calling the deputy prosecutor a liar, Breiner said.
Breiner’s assistant was a witness and filed a similar statement. Breiner said another deputy prosecutor and a sheriff’s deputy also were witnesses.
The incident happened after a contentious hearing for a trial that was scheduled to begin this week, Breiner said. It was rescheduled to February because of plea negotiations.
Breiner filed a request with the court asking to have the prosecutor disqualified from the case.
Sex discrimination lawsuit filed against Saipan casino
SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleges in a lawsuit that a Saipan casino discriminates against women workers.
The agency filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging sexual harassment against Imperial Pacific in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The lawsuit cites examples such as sexual advances and demands for sexual favors by casino customers. The agency says Imperial Pacific shrugged off employee complaints and that those who complained were fired or faced other retaliation.
The casino has had other labor issues.
It agreed to pay $3 million to settle claims that construction workers weren’t paid minimum wages and overtime. Four China-based construction firms also agreed to pay $14 million in back wages and damages to thousands of Chinese workers building the casino.