🎃👻 Happy Halloween! 🦇🍬

It’s always nice when Halloween falls on a Friday. I don’t have big plans this year—I missed my friends’ annual party last weekend due to a wedding—but I’m hoping to post up somewhere and hand out candy. Watching kids trick or treat in adorable costumes can’t be beat. 

Outside of Halloween parties, Arizona is full of events this weekend:

What are you up to this weekend? Are you dressing up for Halloween? Let me know!

A newsletter for Phoenix renters, written by someone who’s lived it—me! Rent Check PHX gives you news, resources, and real renter stories from across the Valley every other Wednesday.

SNAP and EBT Accepted here sign. SNAP and food stamps provide nutrition benefits to supplement the budgets of low-income families. (Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock)

by Alyssa Bickle and Jessica Swarner

On Nov. 1, the federal government will pause its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) because of the ongoing funding freeze caused by the government shutdown. 

In September, more than 850,000 Arizonans—including 350,000 children—relied on SNAP to help pay for groceries, according to the Arizona Department of Economic Security..

Until federal funding is released, the agency will be unable to distribute SNAP benefits. These benefits help low-income families stretch their grocery budgets and afford nutritious food essential to health and well-being.

As of June 2025, Arizona food banks were serving more than 700,000 people each month. As the government shutdown continues, demand is expected to increase, with many families turning to food banks for the first time ever. 

In an attempt to offset the already increased demand, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs allocated $1.8 million of state money to food banks and vouchers for fresh foods at farmers markets and community grocery stores—but it’s a small dent in the huge loss of federal food assistance. 

VIVA PHX will return in 2026 as a six-day, multi-venue celebration of the local culture.

Indie bookstores are booming in metro Phoenix. Learn more about the eight top options in the Valley of the Sun.

People gathered on the afternoon of Oct. 26 at the Salvation Army Kroc Center in Phoenix for a celebration of the life of Alfredo Gutiérrez, a progressive political leader whose influence in Arizona spanned decades.

Reach 125,000+ Arizonans who care about their communities! Sponsor Copper Courier’s Dec. 6 Special Edition, “How to Get Involved and Give Back this Holiday Season.” Book by Nov. 21, 2025, and save 20% off your placement.

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Jessica Swarner with stories from Alyssa Bickle, Jessica Swarner, USA Today Network via Reuters Connect, Nick Karmia, Isabella Gomez, and Sophie Boudreau. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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