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.
Hensel acknowledged the disappointment among some that no local candidate made it as a finalist and vowed she will take the helm of UH with a “heart open wide.” Read more
If she accepts, Hensel will take over the 10-campus system following the December retirement of current President David Lassner. Read more
Each of the finalists later arrived separately and out of sight to talk to the regents after the public was dismissed from UH-Manoa’s Bachman Hall. Read more
Some of the testimony — both in writing and in person — urged the 11 regents to start their search over, while others objected that the appointment of an interim president in the meantime would delay efforts and progress at UH. Read more
In September and earlier this month, the candidates met separately with hundreds of people across four islands who wanted to hear how their backgrounds and experiences on the mainland will help lead UH. Read more
Allegations of discrimination surrounding the performance evaluation of a Georgia State University professor in 2020 while Wendy Hensel was interim provost have surfaced as she vies to become the University of Hawaii’s next president. Read more
Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
Voters overwhelmingly prefer the convenience of voting by mail. Read more
The Nov. 5 election ballots will ask voters a one-sentence question: “Shall the state constitution be amended to repeal the legislature’s authority to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples?” Read more
Only 32.3% of registered voters bothered to cast ballots in the Aug. 10 party primary election. Read more
Gov. Josh Green plans to propose an additional $30 million to help the next group of health care workers pay off their loans over the subsequent two years. Read more
Throughout his 45 years in newspaper journalism, Hurley never wanted to be the center of a story and had a reputation for remaining calm while reporting and writing complex stories. Read more
Voters in Royal Kunia-Waipahu-Honouliuli — part of a West Oahu area that’s been increasingly turning politically red — will have a clear choice between a traditional union-backed Democrat and an incumbent, evangelical Christian Republican whose views are sometimes so extreme that he was condemned by a West side Republican senator. Read more
Voters in Kailua and a portion of Kaneohe will pick someone new to represent them in the state House of Representatives on Nov. 5, choosing between a Democrat and a Republican who disagree whether Kailua has become more progressive or more conservative after decades of reelecting moderate Republican Rep. Cynthia Thielen. Read more
Republican state Sen. Brenton Awa, 38, faces his first reelection contest on Nov. 5 against a fellow Native Hawaiian who’s a generation older, 65-year-old Democrat Ben Shafer, to represent a vast and diverse district. Read more
An internal rule change at the state Department of Human Services will mean 13,000 to 14,000 Hawaii households will be eligible for another $40 million to $45 million — or an average of $3,200 a year — in SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps. Read more
For the past decade, Lassner has led a 10-campus system that touches Hawaii and its residents in ways unlike any other state department or agency. Read more
David Lassner said tensions with three state senators go back to his predecessor, M.R.C. Greenwood, and the so-called Wonder Blunder. Read more
Republican state Rep. David Alcos III — who is running for reelection Nov. 5 for his House District 41 seat — has been fined $12,500 by the state Ethics Commission for an unprecedented volume of campaign financial disclosure violations, including failing to report more than $3 million in liens against him by the IRS and state Tax Department. Read more
This fall’s preliminary 2023 enrollment of 20,012 — the highest since 2012 — represents a 4% increase over 2023 for UH-Manoa. Read more
There are currently 1,523 apprentices working in Hawaii, and 576 are between the ages of 18 to 24. Read more
House Speaker Scott Saiki will leave his position after 30 years on Nov. 5 — the same day as the general election. Read more
