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.
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
Some 37% of Hawaii businesses said tariffs make them “very concerned,” while another 40% are “somewhat concerned,” adding up to a whopping 77% of businesses feeling tariff anxiety, according to a new survey by ProService Hawaii. Read more
Former Honolulu City Council member John Henry Felix — who witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor as a boy, became an Eagle Scout at the age of 15, later held court at the Pacific Club over back-to-back breakfast meetings, was a proud descendant of his Portuguese ancestry and active in multiple business and philanthropic endeavours — died at his independent living facility in Hawaii Kai early Monday morning at the age of 94. Read more
There were 259 bills that the House and Senate sent to Gov. Josh Green in the final days of the legislative session that addresses new and sometimes long-standing issues. Read more
During two recesses, House Majority Leader Sean Quinlan (D, Waialua-Haleiwa-Punaluu) strode across the House floor in an unusual move to talk to some of the eight members of the Republican caucus. Read more
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If approved by the full House and Senate Wednesday, the bills would go to Gov. Josh Green, who has already signed 27 new laws this year, including further tightening firearms requirements across the islands. Read more
Hawaii auto sales continued to fall this year and badly trailed the rest of the country — with an uncertain future ahead because of President Donald Trump’s economic policies, the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association reported Wednesday. Read more
The tourism industry already has seen a drop in visitor arrivals, notably Canadians angry at Trump’s initial Canadian tariffs and his threats to make their country America’s 51st state. Read more
Eric Kingma, executive director of the Hawaii Longline Association, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Friday, “You can have both ocean protection as well as allowing sustainable fisheries to occur. They can be compatible.” Read more
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Thursday overturning an Obama-era ban on commercial fishing in the nearly 500,000- square-mile Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, fulfilling a years-long goal of fishing advocates from Hawaii and American Samoa in an Oval Office ceremony. Read more
The city will lose more than $11 million in federal funding for seven programs and projects that provide special-needs housing, small-business assistance and address environmental and climate efforts. Read more
Political candidates would be allowed to use campaign funds to take care of their dependents, such as child care expenses, in what several supporters hope will attract more diverse, family-oriented candidates to run for political office. Read more
The city has issued over $100 million worth of fines for short-term rental violations over the past three fiscal years but has collected less than $2 million — or barely 2% — even after hiring a collection agency in 2023 that was tasked with bringing in every dollar owed to the city. Read more
Tourists would collectively pay millions of dollars more each year to stay in Hawaii hotels and on cruise ships to help the state address climate change and reduce the risk of future wildfires under a bill approved Tuesday by the full House. Read more
Hawaiian Electric and the carpenters union argue that their positions for and against House Bill 982 would be best for Hawaii when it comes to recovering from future wildfires in the aftermath of the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui fires. Read more
The litigation is being led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford. Read more
Businesses are “stressing” with the likelihood of increased, tariff-driven prices while simultaneously dealing with COVID-era loans and deferred rents, said Tina Yamaki, president of the Retail Merchants of Hawaii. Read more
House Bill 371 would make it illegal for state and county contractors — and their immediate family members — from making campaign contributions while their companies are under contract for county or state projects. Read more
The increase would go to the Hawai‘i Cancer Research special fund while simultaneously making it more expensive to buy cigarettes across the islands, with the goal of reducing cancer rates. Read more
The Behavioral Health Crisis Center opened in 2024 across the street from the Institute for Human Services’ men’s shelter in Iwilei and has seen 1,182 people ever since to address issues including substance abuse and mental health, which are considered critical underlying reasons why people end up and remain homeless. Read more
