Sylvia Luke on indefinite leave as Keith Regan becomes acting lieutenant governor
Regan will continue serving as comptroller and director of the Department of Accounting and General Services while doing triple duty as lieutenant governor. Read more
Dan Nakaso
Dan Nakaso is the Capitol Bureau chief at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. He has been an editor and reporter in Hawaii for nearly 30 years, starting at the former Honolulu Advertiser and now at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
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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.
Latest Stories by Dan Nakaso
Green announces acting lieutenant governor after Sylvia Luke takes leave of absence
Keith Regan, comptroller of the state Department of Accounting and General Services, will assume the constitutional lieutenant governor during Luke’s absence, according to an announcement from the governor’s office. Read more
Green to meet with Lt. Gov. Luke after she gets target letter in bribery probe
Prosecutors send target letters to inform subjects of criminal probes that they are being investigated and may face charges. Read more
Macadamia chocolate manufacturer ending sales
Menehune Mac — Hawaii’s oldest existing macadamia nut candy manufacturer, founded in 1939 — has produced its final batch that owner Jimmy Chan hopes will last through Mother’s Day. Read more
Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke receives target letter in corruption probe
Luke announced Sunday that she will not seek a second term in the Aug. 8 Democratic Party primary. Read more
Cleanup underway for floating homeless encampments in Kalihi
Years of outreach by the Institute for Human Services failed to clear the encampments, which hid among the mangroves and floated between city and state land during prior sweeps. Read more
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George Ariyoshi, nation’s first governor of Asian American descent, dies at age 100
Hawaii’s longest-serving governor and the first Asian American to serve as governor of any U.S. state, George Ariyoshi, died Sunday night at the age of 100, leaving a “quiet and effective” legacy grounded in shaping the state’s future. Read more
Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke quits reelection campaign amid controversy
As of Sunday, Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami was the only major candidate to challenge Luke in the Democratic Party primary. Read more
Bills on ICE rules, tax relief advance as Hawaii legislative session nears end
State legislators continue to move bills toward the end of session that would further tighten election and campaign laws, impose new rules for film tax credits, limit local law enforcement involvement with federal agents and roll back some promised Hawaii income tax breaks scheduled through 2031. Read more
Trump issues disaster declaration following Kona-low storms
Gov. Josh Green estimated the damage from the Kona-low storms at about $700 million, plus a $300 million loss in economic activity. Read more
Hawaii organ donors give the gift of life
Hawaii has a high prevalence of factors that can lead to kidney failure that include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, alcohol consumption and unhealthy diets. Read more
Storm closes Kamehameha Highway at Waimea, triggers evacuations
Otake Camp residents in Waialua evacuated from their homes Friday for the second time in less than a month as Kaukonahua Stream swelled again under heavy rains that also triggered two boulders crashing onto Kamehameha Highway, forcing its total closure at Waimea. Read more
Central Oahu Regional Park repair to begin soon
Private contractors have cleared the last remnants of a temporary debris site at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park where over 2,300 tons of North Shore storm debris had been stored and sorted. Read more
El Nino summer could bring sticky weather, tropical storms to Hawaii
As Hawaii experiences its third major storm in less than a month, the state is also facing the likelihood of a wetter and more humid than normal summer and fall, according to the National Weather Service, which Thursday forecast a 61% chance of an El Nino, which generates warmer ocean waters that can trigger more tropical storms. Read more
City clearing Central Oahu Regional Park of debris ahead of storm
Over 2,300 tons of storm debris piled in a massive mound at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park had been reduced Tuesday to 250 tons — just ahead of the third major storm forecast for Hawaii in less than a month, which could leave even more rubbish in its wake. Read more
Funding restrictions would be ‘catastrophic’ for UH
Each of the University of Hawaii’s 10 campuses would have to rely on funding they generate from their individual tuition and student fees — and any excess revenue would have to be turned over to the state general fund under a bill that UH President Wendy Hensel said would be “catastrophic” for the system and especially for smaller campuses, such as Kauai Community College. Read more
Hawaii’s 2026 election includes a few high-profile challenges
There is no high-profile Republican running yet for either lieutenant governor or governor in the Aug. 8 primary, but all candidates have until June 2 to officially declare their candidacies for any Hawaii primary race. Read more
From farms to produce vendors, Kona low impacts are widespread
Just a fraction of Hawaii’s farmers and ranchers have reported their total economic losses at $18.9 million, but the actual number’s certain to skyrocket. Read more
Storm debris at Central Oahu Regional Park grows to over 5,200 tons
The spot sits in an underused portion of the park that’s away from playground equipment, picnic tables, tennis courts, bathrooms and soccer fields. Read more
Gov. Green requests federal disaster declaration for storm assistance
Gov. Josh Green has asked President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster to help Hawaii recover from the back-to-back Kona-low storm systems, with the hope that the federal government will provide up to 90% of funding for recovery efforts. Read more
Green requests federal disaster declaration for storm assistance
The first storm caused more than $400 million in damage, followed by the second, which, combined, is expected to exceed more than $1 billion in damage. Read more
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Sylvia Luke on indefinite leave as Keith Regan becomes acting lieutenant governor
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