California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s book tour will take him early next month to New Hampshire, the state that’s traditionally held the nation’s first presidential primary for a century.

The Portsmouth Music Hall announced on Thursday that California’s two-term Democratic governor will present his new book, “Young Man in a Hurry,” on Thursday, at their theater on March 5.

It’s a sure bet that the stop along New Hampshire’s Seacoast will generate more buzz about Newsom’s national ambitions and the likelihood that he’ll launch a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, in the race to succeed term-limited President Donald Trump.

Newsom’s stature in his own party has soared over the past year, thanks to his very vocal and visual pushback against the president, including his viral social media trolling of Trump and his successful California push to counter the Republican congressional redistricting effort.

THE 2028 WHITE HOUSE RACE IS ALREADY UNDERWAY

“Newsom has shown an ability to stand up to Trump in a bold and highly effective manner without shying away from core democratic values,” veteran Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo told Fox News Digital.

Newsom was treated like a VIP as he held meetings and mingled with party delegates during the opening day of the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) winter meeting, which was held in Los Angeles in December. And Newsom held meetings with the Democratic Party chairs from New Hampshire and Nevada, another crucial early voting state.

“We had a great discussion on a wide range of issues,” longtime New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley told Fox News Digital.

DEMOCRATIC HEAVYWEIGHTS TURN HEADS, SPARK 2028 SPECULATION

Newsom has acknowledged that he’s mulling a presidential bid, telling CBS News last year he would “seriously consider” following the 2026 midterms and that he’d be “lying” if he said otherwise.

Newsom is one of more than a dozen Democrats viewed as potential 2028 White House contenders. And many of them have been paying visits to New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, which held the first sanctioned Democratic presidential primary in the 2024 election cycle. Newsom stopped in South Carolina last summer.

A New Hampshire-based Democratic strategist who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely shared that he and other activists in the state for months have been receiving fundraising emails on a regular basis from some of the White House hopefuls.

“Every week I receive a dozen,” the strategist said.

VANCE AMPLIFIES HIS 2026 MESSAGE WHILE LANDING KEY 2028 BACKING

Kathy Sullivan, a former New Hampshire Democratic Party chair and former DNC committee member, told Fox News Digital that “successful candidates in New Hampshire start early here and get to know the activists. They find out what issues are important to people in New Hampshire.”

Sullivan said the early trips to New Hampshire by the potential contenders “show that they’re putting the work in to take the whole process seriously and know they need to do the hard work to win the primary.”

The California governor was last in New Hampshire in July 2024, to support then-President Joe Biden in the days after Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Trump. Newsom was a top surrogate for Biden, and later for then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced Biden as the party’s standard-bearer after Biden dropped his re-election run amid questions about his physical and mental durability.

Harris, a fellow Californian who is also currently on a book tour, is also mulling a potential 2028 presidential run.

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Among the other Democrats seen as possible presidential candidates are Govs. JB Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Wes Moore of Maryland and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan; Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Chris Murphy of Connecticut; progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rep. Ro Khanna of California, another leading progressive; and two moderate Democrats, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and former White House chief of staff and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Bostonians will again enjoy nonstop service between Boston and Hawaii in late 2026, Delta Air Lines announced on Friday.

Delta, a leading carrier at Logan International Airport, will begin service between Boston and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu on Dec. 19 as part of its winter seasonal schedule. It will once again become America’s longest domestic route.

Last year, Boston travelers could book nonstop flights to Hawaii on two airlines —Delta and Hawaiian Airlines. But those routes were cancelled last year and there is not currently a direct flight between New England and Hawaii.

Delta launched direct service between Boston and Honolulu in 2024 and suspended the service in 2025 “to align with consumer demand.” Then Hawaiian cancelled its direct flight between Boston and Honolulu in August because it was “underperforming.”

“The returning route reopens a long-haul leisure link between the Northeast and the islands, offering customers a single-flight escape to O‘ahu’s iconic shoreline, cultural landmarks and vibrant city-meets-beach experience,” wrote Delta officials in a press release.

The flights will operate daily during the peak holiday travel period in December and, after that, drop down to four times weekly for the winter season. Delta did not provide an end date for the seasonal service. Customers will travel on an Airbus A330-300. 

“Hawaii plays an important role in our long-haul leisure network,” said Amy Martin, vice president of network planning for Delta Air Lines, in a statement. “This expansion strengthens connectivity from key U.S. hubs while giving customers more choice in how they reach the islands, alongside the premium travel experience they expect on these long-haul flights.” 

The airline also announced the launch of new service between Minneapolis–St. Paul and Maui. 

Kristi Palma

Travel writer

 

Kristi Palma is the travel writer for Boston.com, focusing on the six New England states. She covers airlines, hotels, and things to do across Boston and New England. She is the author of Scenic Six, a weekly travel newsletter.

Friday and Saturday night, restaurants will be packed full of people celebrating love, but it also means if you’re one of those people who wait until the last minute to make plans…you’re likely out of luck. 

Taking a look online at some of the more popular spots for Valentine’s Day, a lot of them are either booked full or the prime time spots are gone. 

If your significant other thinks you’re all booked and ready for a romantic dinner, but you find yourself panicking internally, take a deep breath, and don’t worry, there are still plenty of options. 

Of course, there’s always the age-old option of cooking at home, but for most, a night out feels more special. 

“Don’t stress, you’ve got plenty of options, and the most important thing is that you’re with the person you’re with, and you make it a special day,” said Hal B. Klein, a food writer and dining critic in Pittsburgh. 

Pittsburgh’s food scene is no doubt booming, which means those reservations were probably gone a month ago, but according to Klein, just because it’s booked doesn’t mean those places won’t have bar seating or walk-ins available. 

Nothing is guaranteed on Valentine’s Day, but your best friend will be flexibility. 

“What might happen is you’ll go in at 5:00, and they’ll say, ‘Awesome, we can get you into a bar seat at 6:15,’” Klein said. 

Always, always have a backup plan. 

Just because it’s Valentine’s Day, it doesn’t mean it has to be a white tablecloth and a fixed menu. Pittsburgh is known for its diverse food scene, and thinking outside of the box could be your best bet. 

“This city is full of immigrant-owned restaurants,” Klein said. “Go there, you’re going to find an experience that is warm and welcoming. Maybe something you’ve never had before, and that’s going to create a whole new set of memories.” 

That’s really what it’s all about, making memories with the person you love. That could mean going back to your first date spot or even hitting your favorite fast-food drive-thru. 

“Go there, love the places that you love, stop by your favorite neighborhood spot,” Klein said. 

If all else fails, Klein recommended an at-home, indoor picnic. 

“It’s cold right now, remind yourself of the warm season, get cozy, light some candles instead of sunlight,” he said. “We’re here in the Strip, there are all these shops to go to, Penn Mac, many more, get some meat, get some cheese.” 

There’s also always the option of grabbing takeout, which can save you a few bucks and avoid the Valentine’s Day rush. 

So, if you’re feeling the pressure, don’t worry too much about it; there are still plenty of ways to make it special. 

Finally, you can always just go out to dinner on another day.