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.
Green previously told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the state needs $100 million to $200 million annually to adapt to climate change and better protect the islands from another fire like the fatal one in 2023 that decimated Lahaina, which continues to recover. Read more
With Congress scheduled to adjourn Friday, the U.S. House likely will take up the bill this week before sending it back to the Senate, Schatz said. Read more
A major unknown is if the Hawaii Supreme Court rules in favor of lawyers representing insurance companies opposed to terms of the Maui settlement. Read more
Kai Kahele — a former state senator, U.S. representative and unsuccessful candidate for governor in 2022 — was elected chair of the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs barely an hour after he was sworn in for his freshman term as an OHA trustee. Read more
The Queen’s Health Systems plans to build an 80-bed hospital next to the Kailua-Kona Costco on Hawaii island that would include a helipad to cut travel time to its trauma center on Oahu and, critically, construct adjacent, below-market-rate housing to recruit and retain some of the estimated 300 hospital staff, nurses and doctors. Read more
A bipartisan bill sits on President Joe Biden’s desk that would exempt survivors of disasters, including the 2023 Maui wildfires, from having to pay federal income tax on settlement money. Read more
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Incoming President Donald Trump and his potential policies — especially campaign threats of tariffs on imported foreign goods — create an unknown for Hawaii’s economic forecast, which the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization otherwise expects to show modest growth through 2027. Read more
Hawaiian Air crews will fly new, nonstop routes from Seattle to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport and to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport starting in early 2025. Read more
The University of Hawaii at Manoa will begin work as early as January that it says will transform the “heart” of the campus by making its already popular, tree-lined McCarthy Mall even more accessible while creating a five-story building designed to help students from different disciplines mingle and mix. Read more
During Trump’s first term, cuts to federal social service programs “cost us $300 million a year in social services,” according to Green, who was lieutenant governor at the time. Read more
Green plans to introduce a laundry list of bills on green fee funding ideas aimed at tourists so legislators can start hearings on them quickly after the 2025 session starts Jan. 15. Read more
Leadership continues under Senate President Ron Kouchi of Kauai. Read more
There are no shortage of projects underway or coming up soon, including the proposed replacement for Aloha Stadium, the completion of Honolulu’s rail system, and a new Oahu Community Correctional Center. Read more
Japanese travel to Hawaii will now be easier as Gov. Josh Green and the visitor industry continue to work to encourage more Japanese travel despite the weakness of the yen. Read more
No one at the state Capitol, including Gov. Josh Green, faces election next year, which generally means it’s easier to take bold action, political analyst Colin Moore said. Read more
Incoming House Speaker Nadine Nakamura renamed several of the 18 House committees, including the former Committee on Health and Homelessness. Read more
Hurricane season runs from June 1 through Saturday, and weather conditions are forecast over the next few days with temperatures in the lower 80s and relatively clear skies, reducing the risk of a third cyclone hitting the islands by Saturday. Read more
Most of the House and Senate Republicans represent districts in West Oahu, along with two of the nine members of the Honolulu City Council. Read more
After all the all mail-in and in-person votes were counted and then recounted, Pierick received 4,706 votes compared with 4,686 for Rosenlee. Read more
By law a recount can be triggered only if the difference of votes is less than 100, or less than one-quarter of 1%, whichever is smaller. Read more
It was the only race that changed based on the final ballots, according to state Elections Chief Scott Nago. Read more
