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.
Owners who convert won’t have to pay county property taxes — combined with government-paid rental income ranging from $5,000 a month for a one-bedroom unit to $11,000 for a four-bedroom. Read more
There are still 1,744 people living in hotels, and Green wants to find them all long-term housing by July 1. Read more
Applications will be accepted Friday to consider a payout of $1.5 million to avoid what could be protracted litigation for families that lost a loved one in Maui’s Aug. 8 wildfires, which killed at least 101 people. Read more
Former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s name on the short list of Donald Trump’s candidates for vice president only adds to the enigmatic political career of a former rising star of the Democratic Party who later denounced Democrats and sued Hillary Clinton for $50 million for defamation. Read more
Gov. Josh Green had threatened to ban short-term rentals if owners of 3,000 Maui vacation rentals did not provide stable housing by Friday. Read more
Green initially asked critics to trust that he would make adjustments, which he did to mollify a lawsuit from the Sierra Club in response to sunshine, environmental and historic preservation concerns. Read more
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U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the troubles opening Skyline on June 30 are mirrored by other major projects around the country. Read more
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg toured what remains of Lahaina on Wednesday and heard from members of Mayor Richard Bissen’s advisory counsel, who reported sometimes conflicting pressures as Maui continues to recover from the Aug, 8 wildfires. Read more
The on-going exodus of Hawaii residents far outstrips the number of U.S. residents moving to the islands, resulting in the overall loss of 36,789 Hawaii residents over the last three years. Read more
Investigators for the state Campaign Spending Commission on Wednesday recommended that former state Rep. Kaniela Ing be fined another $18,250 — in addition to the nearly $22,000 that he already had been fined — for 24 campaign spending violations. Read more
Naming rights for the Hawai‘i Convention Center would be allowed despite Hawaii’s general ban on outdoor advertising after a key Senate committee approved a bill Tuesday despite concerns. Read more
Some Maui business owners wonder when they’ll get more government help to stabilize or restart their businesses. Read more
Grief and uncertainty over their futures played across the faces of survivors of the Maui wildfires on Thursday’s six-month mark as Gov. Josh Green, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen and federal officials detailed six months of progress — as well as the hard work that lies ahead. Read more
Six months after the Aug. 8 Lahaina wildfire, survivors today are likely to reach an emotional low that could last for months. Read more
Families who earn too much to qualify for subsidized child care are now eligible for a program that has expanded from 4-year-olds to also include 3-year-olds, with increased subsidies. Read more
Maui County and the state Office of Elections are working to help displaced Lahaina voters receive their mail-in ballots ahead of the Aug. 10 primary election and Nov. 5 general election. Read more
Gov. Josh Green and the state Legislature will have to figure out how to pay for an estimated $120 million to $150 million in retroactive hazard pay due to 7,800 unionized public workers who faced health risks at Hawaii public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
Only current and former residents would be allowed to purchase homes under a House Republican bill designed to lower prices and make Hawaii housing more affordable across the state. Read more
In an effort to keep artificial intelligence — or deepfake — messaging out of Hawaii elections, two bills would ban false information of a candidate or party, and a third would make it a petty misdemeanor to distribute — or conspire to distribute — fake political messages. Read more
A package of House bills would help property owners buy insurance in Hawaii’s most high-risk zones, including those in Puna’s riskiest lava zones and survivors of the Maui wildfires who also lost homes. Read more
The name Donald Trump does not appear on either Senate Bill 2392 or SB 2393, and Sen. Karl Rhoads said the bills apply to any political candidate. Read more
