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.
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
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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
Hawaii’s auto dealers ended 2024 down 3% in sales and were expecting a rebound this year until the enthusiasm was abruptly halted when President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on foreign auto imports and auto parts this week. Read more
The state Department of Human Services will have to shut down its ongoing relief efforts for 4,431 remaining survivors of the 2023 Maui wildfires on April 4 unless the Federal Emergency Management Agency lifts a funding freeze, according to a federal lawsuit filed by attorneys general from both Republican and Democratic states. Read more
The challenges of balancing work with family time provides a daily reminder of the need to do more to help struggling families just like themselves, most of whom are now new committee chairs and House leaders. Read more
The messages from Canadians who have already canceled their trips offer a reminder that Trump and his policies are hurting Hawaii’s largest economic driver, tourism. Read more
None of the bills by themselves represent a dramatic overhaul of how elections and politics work at the state and county levels. Read more
House Speaker Nadine Nakamura said it’s too soon to say whether legislators in future sessions would vote against accepting their raises. Read more
The Commission on Salaries on Thursday will consider finalizing recommendations that would give the governor a series of pay raises totaling 27% until mid-2030, in addition to 44% overall pay increases for state legislators over the next five years. Read more
Perennial efforts to allow different forms of gambling, such as a lottery, and legalize adult recreational marijuana use, however, once again appear dead, among hundreds of other bills that have stalled. Read more
