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.
The proposed $4.037 billion “global settlement” would resolve over 650 claims and lawsuits in the aftermath of the wildfire that killed 102 people and destroyed nearly 4,000 structures, most of them homes. Read more
Young voters could play a critical role in deciding who will be America’s next president, but as a new school year begins at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, there’s little enthusiasm in any big way ahead of Nov. 5. Read more
Objections to U.S. policy over the war in Gaza led six of Hawaii’s 31 delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to withhold their support for Vice President Kamala Harris following internal debate. Read more
Organized labor continues to play an outsize role at this week’s Democratic National Convention with larger implications for the presidential election, Hawaii and the rest of the country to rebuild the middle class. Read more
Hawaii delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago donned light-blue, long-sleeved aloha shirts and dresses and wore green “Hawaii for Harris” buttons Tuesday as Gov. Josh Green pledged Hawaii’s support for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the next president of the United States. Read more
Delegates were to wear long-sleeved light blue aloha shirts and dresses, along with “Hawaii for Harris” buttons. Read more
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President Joe Biden took one last bow on the national political stage and closed the first day of the Democratic National Convention with a speech that began with a nearly four-minute standing ovation from delegates waving red, white and blue signs that read, “We (heart) Joe.” Read more
Over a year since the fires, Maui County officials have yet to release the findings of a federal and county investigation into the cause of wildfires in Lahaina and Upcountry Maui, where nearly two dozen properties burned that same day. Read more
In court documents filed in Honolulu Circuit Court, the insurance company attorneys allege that those responsible for igniting the wildfires are Hawaiian Electric, Kamehameha Schools and three telecommunication companies. Read more
The small margins of victory in Democratic primary races for House District 30 (Kalihi-Kalihi Kai-Hickam Village) and Senate District 22 (Nanakuli-Waianae-Makaha) would historically have triggered an automatic recount, which would have had to be completed by last week. Read more
By the time all the votes were counted, Saiki lost to Iwamoto by just 290 votes — 2,649 for Iwamoto compared with 2,359 for Saiki in Saturday’s election. Read more
Iwamoto, a former state Board of Education member, wins the House seat outright since no other party had a candidate in the race for District 25. Read more
Following the results tonight as of about 10:40 p.m., Iwamoto had a lead of 202 votes over Saiki. Read more
Most of the 102 victims of 2023’s Maui wildfires were senior citizens, prompting Gov. Josh Green and Maui Mayor Richard Bissen on Friday to honor kupuna at a gathering with food and fellowship. Read more
Once again, Hawaii voters already have shown an overwhelming preference for mail-in ballots — over 196,000 votes compared with only 1,800 people who have voted in person so far. Read more
A day dedicated to marking one year since Maui’s deadly wildfires began with officials remembering the 102 people who died while recalling the harrowing stories of survivors and vowing to rebuild in the days ahead. Read more
Once again, Hawaii voters already have shown an overwhelming preference for mail-in ballots — over 196,000 votes compared with only 1,800 people who have voted in person so far. Read more
Gov. Josh Green commended “the strength of our community” and said, “The world watched the heroism of the firefighters and the heroism of the people saving each other.” Read more
A Maui tradesman turned his passion for metal work into a 16-foot-tall, tear-shaped sculpture that he unveiled Wednesday night above the Lahaina burn zone on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the devastating wildfires. Read more
Twinkle Borge, known as “Mama,” showed love and compassion to the hundreds of people who moved in and out of what is now known as Pu‘uhonua o Waianae, while simultaneously enforcing strict rules against violence or substance abuse. Read more
There is no timetable on when students and their families can expect bus service to resume. Read more
