Good Thursday morning! After a wild weather evening on Wednesday, we're not quite done with the wet conditions!
We're staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for Thursday, Nov. 20; here’s what you need to know as you start your day:
From Meteorologist Jorge Torres - Wet week continues as another storm heads toward Arizona
Scattered showers will linger through the morning commute across the Valley before conditions start to dry out around midday. Expect partly to mostly cloudy skies the rest of the day with highs topping out in the mid-60s.
Partial roof collapse reported at Desert Sky Mall in Phoenix
Phoenix fire officials responded to a partial roof collapse at Desert Sky Mall.
Crews say it happened around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday near 79th Avenue and Thomas Road.
Officials say a dental office inside the mall suffered from a dropped ceiling, severing a water line.
According to fire crews, patients were sitting just below the damaged area, "thankfully, they were able to evacuate safely."
Video footage from inside the mall shows a significant amount of water on the ground. The extent of the damage is unclear.
Judge wants to know if MCAO violated the law while investigating jurors in capital case
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge wants answers from the County Attorney's Office about whether prosecutors violated the law by using a confidential law enforcement database to investigate jurors in a death penalty case.
Judge Monica Edelstein issued a court order on November 12 that requires MCAO to explain its use of the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database to investigate jurors.
Under Arizona state law, using the confidential database for unauthorized purposes is a class 6 felony.
In a new response, MCAO told the court nothing about its investigation was improper.
“Yes, the State may obviously use the NCIC database to research jurors. This is evident based on the plain language of the relevant statutes, their history, case law, and common sense,” according to a memo filed by MCAO.
The controversy is happening in the death penalty case of Franklin Clifton, who was arrested in October 2014 for shooting two women. One of the women died.
Court records show that during jury selection for Clifton's trial, prosecutors repeatedly tried to remove two specific jurors — numbers 42 and 54 — from the panel.
When their requests were denied, MCAO "initiated an investigation that consisted of a criminal background check conducted by MCAO detectives, public information searches… and a search of social media accounts," court records show.
Trump signs bill requiring DOJ to release Epstein files
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he has signed a bill into law requiring the Department of Justice to release its files relating to an investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!" President Trump wrote in a social media post Wednesday night.
In the message, President Trump alleges that Epstein was a lifelong Democrat and suggests that the files will lay out connections between Epstein and Democratic politicians, including Former President Bill Clinton and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
"Perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein, will soon be revealed," the president wrote.
His message also accuses Democrats of using the Epstein files issue to distract from his administration's priorities.
Yavapai County crews searching for elderly driver swept away in floodwaters near Cordes Lakes
Crews are searching for an elderly man who was reportedly swept away in floodwaters on Tuesday in Cordes Lakes.
The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office was called to the Big Bug Creek area around 3 p.m. after residents called 911 to report a vehicle being swept away.
When deputies got to the area, they located a small sedan being carried away with two men on or near the trunk.
The vehicle then began to turn over in the strong current.
Crews are searching for an elderly man who was reportedly swept away in floodwaters on Tuesday in Cordes Lakes.
