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.
Notices of an ongoing homeless sweep at Maui’s Kahului Boat Harbor by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources lack the same information that was cited by the Hawaii Supreme Court in a challenge to Maui County’s homeless sweeps. Read more
Some bills that passed out of this year’s session had been years and even decades in the making. Read more
Here is the status of major bills following the end of the 60-day Hawaii legislative session on Friday. Read more
Of the 89,000 short-term rentals across the state, Green estimates about 75,000 of them are illegal. Read more
Bissen announced his proposal a day after the full state House of Representatives voted to send Senate Bill 2919 to Gov. Josh Green, who’s expected to sign it into law today. Read more
Bissen’s bill first will have to go before the County Planning Commission and then the full County Council where Councilmember Kani Rawlins-Fernandez said today that she expects her colleagues to pass it. Read more
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
The bills include $1 billion to help Maui recover from the wildfires and another bill that gives counties the authority to regulate short-term vacation rentals on their islands, including the ability to ban them if they choose. Read more
Families who lost a loved one in the deadly Aug. 8 Maui wildfires — or victims who suffered serious injuries — now have until May 31 to register for the One ‘Ohana Fund, which offers them financial compensation. Read more
House and Senate legislators negotiating changes are under pressure to approve final bills by 6 p.m. tonight to avoid what Senate President Ron Kouchi called “the chaos” that surrounded the end of 2023’s session. Read more
The full House and Senate will now consider the question of whether to allow each county to determine how — if at all — to regulate short-term vacation rentals on their islands, including the possibility of outlawing them. Read more
Gov. Josh Green has promised to sign the latest version of Senate Bill 2919 if it gets to his desk. Read more
The full state Senate on Monday killed the last chance this legislative session to make marijuana use more lenient by increasing amounts of possession while reducing fines. Read more
Fifteen senators voted against the bill, eight voted yes, and one voted yes with “reservations.” Read more
The concept of charging a new fee for tourists to help offset their impact drew overwhelming support as the amended version of HB 2406 moved through the House before crossing over to the Senate. Read more
Wayne Metcalf — a former state representative, senator, insurance commissioner and judge has died at the age of 71. Read more
The full House on Wednesday sent 10 “good government” bills, as it called them, to Gov. Josh Green — but none will lead to any sweeping ethics, campaign spending or other reforms to change the way the Legislature does business. Read more
The city plans to close Ulehawa Beach Park from Moihihi Street to Depots Beach near Haleaka Avenue — where about 40 people live — from 10 p.m. April 24 until 5 a.m. May 1. Read more
State Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole remembers playing as a boy in the 1990s at homes in Kaneohe that have now become illegal short-term rentals — including one directly behind his house that’s outfitted with a putting green and tiki torches. Read more
Honolulu defines short-term rentals, or vacation rentals, as lodgings that provide guest accommodation for fewer than 30 consecutive days. Read more
Rent control might be needed as Maui landlords continue to demand more money for limited housing to accommodate survivors of the Aug. 8 wildfires, according to officials with the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement who say victims might need to consider moving off-island for a year or more. Read more
All bills must pass three readings in both the House and Senate and differences between the Senate and House versions of SB 2487 mean it will likely head to conference committee before the end of the session on May 3. Read more
