Who’s ready for a great weekend?

If you’re looking for the weekend events list that’s normally here, I moved it to Thursdays after a majority of you told me in a poll last week you’d prefer it a day earlier. But if you missed out, no worries—it’s on our website!

We have a story below about trinket boxes in Phoenix, so today I wanted to share my experience visiting the one in the Garfield Historic District. 

The Garfield Trinket Trade box, full of little goodies. (Jessica Swarner/The Copper Courier)

I saw the trinket box on Instagram but forgot exactly where it was, until I happily spotted it while on a walk around my neighborhood. 

I looked inside to find bracelets, stickers, toys, booklets, and more—so many cute little items!

I didn’t have anything with me at the time to make a trade, but I’m planning on going back for a sticker swap at some point. 

Locally, I’ve only heard of this trinket box and one on Grand Avenue in Phoenix, so if you love this idea but don’t live nearby—consider starting one in your community.

What would you contribute to a trinket box? Let me know!

The Arizona House of Representatives on Feb. 28, 2018, in Phoenix. (BCFC/Shutterstock)

By Alyssa Bickle

Arizona’s 2026 legislative session began this week, and residents may be wondering how they can make their voices heard.

There are multiple ways Arizonans can step in and express their opinions about bills as the House and Senate debate and vote on them.

Civic Engagement Beyond Voting (CEBV), a nonprofit that helps the public participate in local politics, has a variety of resources designed to help people dip their toes in these waters, including a guide on using the Request to Speak (RTS) system.

The RTS system is a website that allows the public to register opinions and voice comments on bills as they pass through the Arizona House and Senate.

To create an RTS account, you have to go to the State Capitol or a kiosk in Tucson, located at 400 W. Congress St., Suite 201. Once you’ve registered for an RTS account and activated it in person at the Capitol, you can leave comments on a bill from any computer.

Yes, this is a hurdle that people must jump over in order to make their voice heard—making the RTS system inaccessible to many people who don’t have access to transportation to get to the state Capitol. CEBV is attempting to remove that barrier for some by offering to create an RTS account and activate it on behalf of people who fill out this form. 

Here are some events happening in Arizona this weekend, including festivals celebrating birding, hot air balloons, and jazz.

Trinket boxes have popped up across the country and right here in the Valley to bring people together in delightful, small ways.

Whether you’re seriously searching or just looking for fun, here are some Phoenix rentals that grabbed our attention this week.

Arizona repealed its concealed-carry permit requirement in 2010, allowing people to carry hidden, loaded guns in public without background checks or training. A screenshot from Everytown for Gun Safety’s gun law rankings shows Arizona ranking among “National Failures.”

Everytown for Gun Safety released its 2026 state gun law rankings this week, comparing how states stack up on gun safety laws.

For Arizona, the stakes are high: If the state had the same gun death rate as the 10 states with the strongest gun safety laws, an estimated 9,557 lives could be saved over the next decade.

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Jessica Swarner with stories from Alyssa Bickle, Robert Gundran, USA Today Network via Reuters Connect, and Jessica Swarner. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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