Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is still in the Democratic presidential race, despite missing the third debate coming up Thursday. To qualify for the fourth in October, she must hit at least 2% in four polls.

The poll analysts at FiveThirtyEight.com point out that rivals lagging in the polls often do surge in the end. But since 2000, the final nominees were all well above 2% by now. So October looks like a last chance for Gabbard to make a move — unless 21st-century campaigning has changed more than anyone realizes.

Older means cheaper for pet adoptions

Sure, puppies and kittens can be irresistibly cute. Still, here’s hoping that the Hawaiian Humane Society’s new adoption fees — a tiered system, based on the age of the animals — encourage more adoptions of “senior animals,” who tend to have the longest residency at the nonprofit.

Fees for puppies — six months or younger — are set at $125, and drop to $55 for dogs that are at least 6 years old. And in a senior-set match of sorts, fees will be waived for anyone age 55 or older adopting a dog or cat that’s at least 6 years old. More than 7,000 pets are adopted yearly at the Moiliili facility.