Two firefighters were killed Wednesday battling a three-alarm fire in an abandoned building on Chicago's South Side. At least 17 others were hurt.

The men who died were among four firefighters buried in debris when the building's roof and one wall collapsed.

The injured included firefighters who rushed in to rescue their trapped colleagues, fire department spokesman Larry Langford said. Four of those hurt suffered critical injuries, but all are expected to survive, he said.

Sad news from Chicago:

"Two firefighters died after a wall collapsed during a three-alarm fire at an abandoned South Side commercial building this morning, authorities said. Fourteen other firefighters were injured, including two who were trapped with the ones who died." (Via ChicagoBreakingNews.com)

This just in from the White House:

At 4:15 p.m. ET, the president "will convene a news conference ... in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House."

Our original post, headlined "Obama Likely To Hold Short News Conference Today":

The time isn't yet set and White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says the news media won't get much warning, but he expects President Obama will hold a brief news conference later today.

At the signing of the legislation repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" law, the 17-year-old ban on gays openly serving in the U.S. military, President Obama was in the spotlight at centerstage Wednesday, as is usually the case in such ceremonies.

But there likely would have never been a signing ceremony if it hadn't been for a disparate band of lawmakers joined together by their determination to end the discriminatory law.

Among them were Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the House majority leader, and Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CN) and Susan Collins (R-ME).

"Existing-home sales got back on an upward path in November, resuming a growth trend since bottoming in July," the National Association of Realtors just reported.