Before then, he worked as an editor or reporter at the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Examiner and San Jose Mercury News (twice). Prior to becoming a professional journalist, Nakaso was a reporter and the top editor at the San Jose City College student newspaper before becoming a reporter and the top editor at the San Jose State University Spartan Daily newspaper. He attended San Jose City College and San Jose State University simultaneously to get as much newspaper experience as possible. During his college years, Nakaso had six professional newspaper internships, including two at the Los Angeles Times and was hired as a full-time reporter two weeks into his second internship at the Times.
At the Star-Advertiser, Nakaso covers a wide range of stories but has focused on coverage of homeless issues since 2015. He is currently assigned to the Star-Advertiser's Capitol bureau.
A key Maui County Council committee plans on two more days of hearings before a possible vote on July 2 after considering testimony for and against a proposal to reclassify 6,100 short-term vacation rentals into long-term housing. Read more
Owners and managers of Maui short-term vacation rentals have argued during two days of public hearings that local residents cannot afford the rent if 6,100 units are converted into long-term housing. Read more
Maui County Council members heard another full day of testimony Wednesday for and against a proposal to convert 6,100 vacation rentals in Maui “apartment districts” into long-term housing, but recessed with plans for a third and fourth hearing. Read more
Isaac Choy, who remains on unpaid leave from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, has sued named and unnamed HTA officials alleging they retaliated against him for reporting what he called HTA procurement, spending and other violations. Read more
Old Stadium Park was the original site of HONU when the concept was launched in 2019 with state support to provide homeless services and temporary shelter around Oahu. Read more
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has said National Guard troops — and U.S. Marines that Trump also deployed — are unnecessary to deal with demonstrations in downtown Los Angeles that have since spread to other parts of the country. Read more
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At Monday’s hearing, 176 people signed up to testify but only 52 had the chance to speak. Read more
A key Maui County Council committee will hear testimony today on Mayor Richard Bissen’s proposal to convert less than half of Maui’s short-term vacation rentals into long-term housing for local residents that’s expected to trigger a loss of $60 million in tax revenue while lowering sales and rental prices. Read more
The city’s rail project has a “binding contract” to continue to receive federal funding despite the Trump administration’s threat to pull an estimated $4 billion from California’s high-speed train project. Read more
The public will soon get a close look at renderings for the proposed Chinatown rail station, one of the final six planned stations along an overhead “guideway” rail track that are expected to be cheaper to build and operate. Read more
Thousands of public school students from low-income families will get free school lunches over the next two school years, while new rules also will go into effect designed to reduce cancellations of school bus routes. Read more
The increase applies to everyone who stays in a Hawaii hotel, cruise ship or other paid lodging — including local residents. Read more
Democratic Gov. Josh Green has named Republican Joe Gedeon to succeed the late Republican Rep. Gene Ward to represent Hawaii Kai-Kalama Valley. Read more
Everyone who stays in a Hawaii hotel, cruise ship or other lodging beginning Jan. 1 will pay an extra $3 for every $400 in overnight costs — or an additional $30 for every $4,000 spent to stay in the islands — to help Hawaii pay to address climate change and reduce the risk of future wildfires. Read more
Longtime Honolulu Advertiser reporter, Capitol bureau chief, city editor and editorial page editor Jerry Burris died Wednesday in his sleep at his home in Lanikai. He was 81. Read more
Randall Wallace, 67, was apartment hunting last week for a permanent home of his own following years on the street and after only two months living in the new Iwilei homeless kauhale community, where he’s gained an appreciation for how good a stable life can be. Read more
Green — America’s only sitting governor who’s also a medical doctor — previously testified against the Senate confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary because of Kennedy’s skepticism of vaccines. Read more
Schatz blasted the plan today on the Senate floor and called it a clear violation of the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Read more
Ka La‘i Ola is a modular housing project mauka of the Lahaina Civic Center designed specifically for survivors who are ineligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance. Read more
Calls for greater enforcement efforts were taken much more seriously when the Legislature convened just two weeks after the deadly blast at a New Year’s Eve party in Aliamanu that killed six people, injured or maimed dozens of others and led to arrests. Read more
Yamashita’s tenure as Finance chair got off to a rocky start three years ago during chaotic, end-of-session conference committee hearings to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of bills. Read more
