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.
While the push to legalize recreational marijuana again appears dead at the state Legislature, a bill remains alive that one lawmaker said would “essentially” have the same effect by allowing a citation and fine of only $25 for having up to 2 ounces of cannabis — or 100 to 120 joints. Read more
The latest effort to legalize recreational marijuana for adults appears dead once again after House Finance Chair Kyle Yamashita declined to hold a vote on Senate Bill 3335. Read more
House Finance Chair Kyle Yamashita said the priority for the current legislative session remains meeting the financial demands to help Maui recover from the deadly Aug. 8 wildfires. Read more
The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii hopes its victory before the Hawaii Supreme Court over Maui County homeless sweeps will bolster its case against Honolulu when its lawsuit over Oahu’s homeless policies goes to trial in October. Read more
Members of Lahaina Strong flew to the state Capitol on Thursday for the second time this legislative session to urge passage of either of two House and Senate companion bills that would give counties the option to phase out short-term vacation rentals on their islands. Read more
There are enough housing options on Maui to accommodate everyone 231 days after the fires, Green said. Read more
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There are enough housing options on Maui to accommodate everyone 231 days after the fires, Green said. Read more
Green has threatened a first-in-Hawaii ban on short-term vacation rentals if not enough West Maui owners rent to fire survivors by Monday. Read more
Political donor Dennis Mitsunaga, his associates and family members contributed $48,250 in campaign funds to then-Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro as Kaneshiro’s office pursued a criminal case against a fired Mitsunaga employee who later sued the company for discrimination. Read more
After more than three hours of testimony, the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce voted to keep Senate Bill 2335 alive, with minor tweaks. Read more
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz had planned Tuesday to address his colleagues on the floor of the U.S. Senate about record funding for Native American communities, but first took the opportunity to say that Congress “is failing disaster survivors” in Lahaina and across the country. Read more
Legislators appear willing to make jaywalking legal across the islands — when safe — arguing in a Senate bill that pedestrians’ judgments are better at reducing injuries and deaths than traffic lights and traffic markings. Read more
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen made his second State of the County address since the Aug. 8 wildfires Friday night and said, “I am here to report that the state of our county is heartbroken.” Read more
Former state House Rep. Kaniela Ing has until April 24 to prove that campaign spending documents he filed are accurate, allowing him to potentially avoid an additional $18,250 in fines — on top of the $22,000 in fines he’s already been assessed for the same documents. Read more
Trump took 3,506 votes, or 97%, of the 3,618 ballots cast by Republicans throughout the island Tuesday night, according to preliminary results Read more
Hawaii Republicans will gather at 35 locations around the islands tonight to determine how many delegates will cast ballots for presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump, the only Republican still running for president. Read more
Roughly 2,400 bills were introduced this year but only a third have survived so far by crossing over from the House to the Senate, or from the Senate to the House. Read more
Here is the status of major bills at the halfway point of the 60-day legislative session. Read more
The state Senate will now consider a House bill calling for a constitutional amendment to repeal the Legislature’s authority to limit marriage to opposite-sex couples. Read more
Bills to legalize some form of gambling in Hawaii and recreational marijuana are introduced routinely, but have ultimately failed in previous years. Read more
Hawaii’s building regulations drive the cost of condominium development up 58%, the highest in the nation, according to a report released Monday by the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization. Read more
