Welcome to the weekend, Arizona! It was an interesting week in news.

President Donald Trump and congressional Democratic leaders disagreed over whether or not Trump and the Democrats made a deal over legislation protecting young immigrants and the planned border wall. 

North Korea defiantly launched another missile over Japan early Friday morning.

And, Cassini, a spacecraft launched 20 years ago, was vaporized as it plunged into Saturn’s atmosphere at 76,000 mph. 

So, now that your bite-sized news round-up is out of the way, let’s talk about the weekend!

Places to go, people to see

GRAB SOME GRUB

— Mexican Independence Day is Saturday and what better way to celebrate than visiting these 10 Mexican bakeries in Phoenix.

— Need a taco fix? You can find your flavors at the Rockin Taco Street Fest in Chandler. 

— Arizona Restuarant week begins this weekend. With so many opportunities to try something new, we felt like we should give you so guidance. Our dining critic, Dominic Armato, picked 10 restaurants whose menus are too tantalizing to pass up.

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

— Are you a theater-goer? We’ve got some pint-sized reviews just for you.

— Bill Goodykoontz watched Jennifer Lawrence’s latest film, “mother!” He called the film “practically on fire with ideas…” But, watchers beware: Goodykoontz says you’ll either love it or hate it. Read his review.

MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC

— You need to hear these 10 songs, like RIGHT NOW. Ed Masley pulled together a list of new releases that are bound to scratch any musical itch. New releases include tracks from Taylor Swift, Beck and Harry Styles.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

— Wickenburg sophomore Jarrett Blackburn isn’t your typical high school football player. He could graduate in 2020 with more than just a high school diploma.

— Will Carson Palmer recover from his terrible performance in last week’s loss to the Detroit Lions? Here is what the Cardinals think he’ll do in this weekend’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. 

What to expect: weather and traffic

WEEKEND TRAFFIC

The Phoenix area will have several roadway-improvement projects slowing traffic this weekend, according to ADOT. Here are the construction areas:

— Interstate 10 at 59th Avenue: Westbound Interstate 10 will be closed at 58th Avenue from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. Westbound I-10 on-ramps at 43rd and 51st avenues are also closed.

— Interstate 10 between Estrella Parkway and Dysart Road: Eastbound I-10 is closed between Estrella Parkway and Dysart Road from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. The southbound Loop 303 ramp to eastbound I-10 is closed and the eastbound I-10 on-ramp at Sarival Avenue is closed.

— Pecos Road between Interstate 10 and 24th Street: Pecos Road closed between I-10 and 24th Street in the Ahwatukee Foothills area from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. I-10 ramps to and from Pecos Road closed.

— Thomas Road at Interstate 17: Thomas Road closed in both directions at Interstate 17 from 9 p.m. Friday to 2 p.m. Saturday. North- and southbound I-17 off-ramps at Thomas Road closed.

— McDowell Road at Interstate 17: McDowell Road closed in both directions at Interstate 17 from 9 p.m. Saturday to 5 p.m. Sunday. North- and southbound I-17 off-ramps at McDowell Road closed. 

— U.S. 60 at Bell Road: Grand Avenue on- and off-ramps at Bell Road overpass closed for about one week from 1 a.m. Monday to 5 p.m. Sunday.

— Loop 101 at McDowell Road: Southbound Loop 101 on-ramp at McDowell Road and off-ramp McKellips Road closed from 10 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday.

For more information on detours and traffic delays, visit ADOT’s Travel information site or call 511.

WEEKEND WEATHER

This summer was a hot one. In fact, this summer was the fifth-hottest in Phoenix’s history. Luckily, some relief is on the way. Cooler temperatures are on the way.

— Saturday: Sunny with highs in the mid-to-upper 90s. As evening approaches, temperatures will lower to the mid-60s to the upper 70s.

— Sunday: Mostly sunny with highs in the mid-90s to lower 100s. Lows will reach into the upper 60s.

What to read

WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

— Homeowners associations are more powerful than you might expect. They can enforce neighborhood paint colors, holiday decorations, and trash bins, but did you know they can foreclose on homes? In Arizona, HOAs are foreclosing on a record number of homes for as little as $1,200 in missed payments. Read about how and why this is happening.

— Last year we reported about a jaguar sighting in southern Arizona. In all, two separate jaguars were spotted.The story got more interesting when hopes were raised that one of the big cats might be a female. Further research, though, found the opposite. Here is why that’s important.  

— Palm trees seem like the can survive almost any kind of weather. The trees seem to brush off high winds and blazing temperatures. Ever wonder why?

FROM OUR ARCHIVES

— In 2016, Arizona Republic Reporter Daniel González documented the journey thousands of Haitian migrants took to the U.S.-Mexico border. At the time, 7,000 migrants were in limbo in border cities waiting to cross into the U.S. Read the story of how migrants traveled from Haiti after an earthquake, landed in Brazil and made the trip north to the U.S.-Mexico border.

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