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Nagy is 31-27 in four seasons as Bears head coach. | AP Photos

Regardless of whether Nagy or Patch.com has more credibility in this standoff, speculation about his job will continue the rest of the season. And Nagy doesn’t seem to have any guarantee that he’ll get to finish it.

Knowing full well that a report about his imminent firing had spun the Chicago area into a frenzy Tuesday morning, Bears coach Matt Nagy walked into the media room at Halas Hall like it was any other day.

He arrived late, allowing the story to rage unfettered for an extra 16 minutes, then unfolded a piece of paper as he sat at the microphone.

A prepared statement about his exit?

Nope. Just the injury report and the day’s practice schedule.

“And now we’ve just gotta get ready here for this game, get ready to rock n’ roll,” he concluded. “So with that I’ll go ahead and open it up to any questions.”

There was a mountain of them.

And none of Nagy’s responses did anything to quell the storm swirling around him and the Bears as they prepare to visit the Lions on Thursday.

The organization at large also did nothing, opting against putting out a definitive statement or even leaking a rebuttal to a recognizable media outlet. The Bears were content, instead, to have Nagy swerve awkwardly through his press conference.

The spark was a report from Patch.com, a suburban news website citing “a top source,” that said Nagy was informed Monday that the team would fire him after the game Thursday.

“That is not accurate,” Nagy said, adding that he hadn’t had any discussions on that subject with chairman George McCaskey, president Ted Phillips or general manager Ryan Pace.

Given Nagy’s history of dodgy answers, him denying a story isn’t enough to squash it.

And given how dysfunctional and odd the Bears are, that scenario is just goofy enough to be believable: The team breaks from its 101-year tradition of letting a head coach finish a season by pre-firing him four days in advance and can’t even keep it a secret for the first 24 hours.

Regardless of whether Nagy or Patch.com has more credibility in this standoff, speculation about his job will almost certainly continue for the rest of the season–especially with the NFL’s new rule allowing teams to begin interviews in Week 17.

And Nagy doesn’t seem to have gotten any guarantee that he’ll get to finish the season. When asked that directly, he tried to redirect the conversation.

“My focus right now is on these players and on Detroit,” he said. “That’s it. My job as a head coach and a leader is to do that.

“You have this quick turnaround after a tough loss and now here we go. The only thing that we can do is focus on the now and try to do everything we can. Thursday is going to be here quickly, and we have one objective and that’s to win the game.”

It was a yes-or-no question.

“Again, it’s not something I’m focused at,” he said. “I respect the question, but my focus is not on that, you know.”

Beyond Halas Hall, though, everyone else is preoccupied by it. In fact, they’re more ravenous for change than ever after Nagy dragged the Bears through a 16-13 loss to Baltimore on Sunday.

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Azul De La Garza | GoFundMe

Azul De La Garza, 18, had recently graduated from Solorio Academy and had a scholarship to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the fall, her family said.

Why a 16-year-old boy would allegedly gun down a young woman as she parked her car on the Southwest Side wasn’t made any clearer at his bond hearing Tuesday.

Victor Caballero had no known connection to 18-year-old Azul De La Garza and neither did anyone else he was with on Sept. 25 when he repeatedly shot De La Garza outside her father’s home in the 5400 block of South Avers Avenue, Cook County prosecutors said.

De la Garza had recently graduated from Solorio Academy and had a scholarship to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the fall, her family told the Chicago Sun-Times. Before she was killed, she had spent time with her mother and purchased a Halloween costume.

Caballero has been charged as an adult for De la Garza’s murder.

Just before the shooting, Caballero was captured on surveillance cameras and seen by witnesses walking up and down the block with a group of people, prosecutors said.

When De la Garza parked, Caballero was seen separating from the group and approaching De la Garza’s car while wearing a distinctive black, sleeveless shirt, prosecutors said.

Caballero fired at least eight times into De la Garza’s car before running away with the others through an alley, prosecutors said.

Eventually, Caballero walked away while the others got onto a CTA bus, prosecutors said.

Chicago police last month released video of three suspects tied to the deadly shooting and asked for the public’s help in identifying them.

Caballero, who was arrested Monday, was identified by multiple witnesses as the shooter, according to prosecutors, who gave no motive for the shooting.

During Tuesday’s live-streamed bond court hearing, Caballero rocked himself back and forth in a chair and spoke softly when Judge Barbara Dawkins told him to let her know if there was anything said that he didn’t understand.

Caballero has never had any previous juvenile convictions and prosecutors did not indicate there was any physical evidence linking him to De la Garza’s murder, an assistant public defender pointed out to Dawkins.

Caballero is expected back in court Dec. 10.

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Loyola’s players celebrate after beating Illinois in the NCAA Tournament. | AP Photos

In the opening game of a tournament in the Bahamas, the Ramblers take on Michigan State. Who says they can’t bring down another giant?

Around this time of year in 2017, a team of nobodies took the court at Florida.

The Gators were ranked fifth in the country. Through seven games that season, they were averaging a nation-leading 94.7 points. Some in the crowd likely wondered which Loyola had wandered into Gainesville for a drubbing. The one from Baltimore? The one from Los Angeles? The one from New Orleans?

Nope, nope and nope again. It was the one from Chicago, which hadn’t beaten a top-five opponent or appeared in the NCAA Tournament since the 1984-85 season. Guess what? You probably already did. Ramblers 65, Gators 59.

A team of somebodies was born.

“This is a huge win for our program,” then-coach Porter Moser said, “and we hope this makes the fire burn brighter in our guys moving forward.”

We all know it did. Those Ramblers went all the damn way to the Final Four.

And since? A whole bunch of winning, most notably last season’s squad — Moser’s last — knocking off top-seeded Illinois to reach the Sweet 16.

Wednesday in the opening game of the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, Loyola, now coached by Drew Valentine, takes on Michigan State. Thursday’s opponent will be Auburn or Connecticut, each in the Top 25. After that? Depending how things go, it could be defending national champion Baylor.

“We just feel like we belong here,” said forward Aher Uguak, a graduate student in his final season. “But we feel like we’re kind of under the radar again this year. It happens to us every year.”

One would think the Ramblers would have everyone’s respect by now.

“It’s funny,” said Valentine, who orchestrated Loyola’s defenses for four seasons before Moser left for Oklahoma. “I mean, it’s two-fold. When we recruit against [bigger] schools, we get talked about like we’re not at their level or don’t compete at that level. But if we ask somebody to come play in Gentile Arena, you guys see what the schedule looks like.”

In other words, it just doesn’t happen.

“I think they — deep down — really respect us,” he said. “[But] we feel, you know, respected and disrespected at the same time.”

There are warm feelings between Valentine and Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. Carlton Valentine — father of Drew and former Bulls guard Denzel — played for the Spartans when Izzo was an assistant. Denzel was national player of the year in East Lansing. Drew worked for Izzo as a graduate assistant.

Still, this will be a grudge match. It always is from the Ramblers’ point of view when they go nose to nose (OK, so the Spartans are a lot taller) with a powerhouse foe.

“We approach every single game like it’s the Super Bowl,” said guard Lucas Williamson, who was just a freshman when that upset win at Florida kind of set this whole thing in motion.

The Ramblers learned four years ago they compete at a high level and more than hold their own.

“It just helps you in the back of your mind,” Williamson said.

It sure can’t hurt.

JUST SAYIN’

o My latest AP Top 25 ballot: 1. Gonzaga, 2. Kansas, 3. UCLA, 4. Purdue, 5. Duke, 6. Baylor, 7. Houston, 8. Memphis, 9. Kentucky, 10. Illinois, 11. Alabama, 12. Villanova, 13. Connecticut, 14. Virginia Tech, 15. St. Bonaventure, 16. Arkansas, 17. Arizona, 18. Tennessee, 19. Florida, 20. USC, 21. Auburn, 22. Texas, 23. BYU, 24. Michigan State, 25. Xavier.

o Yes, ballots were due before Illinois embarrassed itself Monday in a 71-51 capitulation against unranked Cincinnati in Kansas City, Missouri.

“It’s called toughness,” said coach Brad Underwood, “and we don’t have much of it right now. We’ve got to get that.”

Translation: Can we borrow Ayo Dosunmu for a couple of weeks?

o Speaking of toughness, Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields‘ rib injury is an invitation to rewind to Jan. 1 in New Orleans. Leading underdog Ohio State against Trevor Lawrence and mighty Clemson in a national semifinal, Fields took an almost shockingly brutal helmet shot to the ribs from linebacker James Skalski in the second quarter. Skalski was ejected for targeting. Fields — his rib cage screaming at him — not only fought to the finish line of a 49-28 upset but threw four more touchdown passes to finish with six in the game.

I’ll stick with this: Fields isn’t on the list of the Bears’ problems. He needs more time to develop, a different coaching staff to develop him and a better line to protect him.

I won’t be the last sucker in his corner, but I’m still there.

o There is absolutely no truth to the rumor the Bears already have burned two of their first-half timeouts for Thursday’s game in Detroit.

That said, there ought to be a raise in it for anybody who can “accidentally” disconnect Matt Nagy‘s headset again.

o Lions 19, Bears 17.

Choke that down with your green bean casserole.

And print it.

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Turkeys are more expensive this Thanksgiving. | Associated Press file photo

Today’s update is a 5-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.

Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be mostly sunny with a high near 44 degrees. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low around 35. Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with a high near 53.

Top story

Supply chain crises drive up price of Thanksgiving turkeys, squeeze supply

Families preparing for Thanksgiving likely are seeing higher prices at grocery stores and not as many smaller turkeys to choose from, experts say.

The average cost of a Thanksgiving meal is up 14% over last year, according to a report from the American Farm Bureau. A Thanksgiving turkey is 24% more expensive this year, at an average of $1.50 per pound, or $23.99 for a 16-pound bird.

Labor shortages and global supply chain issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic have squeezed the meat industry. That has pushed the cost of a turkey “through the roof” this season, Andrew Neva, owner of Northwest Meat Co., explained.

“Our meat industry is built on putting as many people as you can in a facility as tightly packed together and breaking down animals as fast as possible,” Neva said. “If you don’t have the resources and people to meet that volume … it’s a recipe for disaster.”

Neva, whose company supplies restaurants and hotels in Chicago, said he has had to charge record-high prices for turkey this season.

Kyle Zimmerman, co-owner of Harrison’s Poultry Farm in suburban Glenview, a poultry wholesaler for North Shore restaurants, has noticed a squeeze in the supply of cheaper, frozen turkeys.

Companies that pack the birds “are very short on help” and having trouble meeting demand, Zimmerman said.

Likewise, restaurants planning Thanksgiving specials are balancing the high prices of turkey and other ingredients with a shortage of servers.

Sneha Dey has more on the turkey trouble here.

More news you need

The city is investigating claims of wage theft, discrimination and harassment at local chain Parlor Pizza, asking employees and customers to come forward with any information that could aid its probe. It appears the company is under multiple microscopes, as Chicago police reportedly assisted the Illinois Department of Revenue’s criminal investigation in another probe.

A man recently paroled for battery to an officer now faces attempted murder charges after allegedly shooting at two Chicago police officers in West Garfield Park Sunday evening. He fired shots but didn’t hit anyone after running from an “investigative stop,” according to police.

Authorities say a driver was shot on the Eisenhower Expressway near Des Plaines Avenue last night then chased by police for two miles before crashing in North Riverside. Officers pursued the victim’s vehicle on Des Plaines Avenue for about two miles before the vehicle crashed near Bar-Tini Lounge in North Riverside, police said.

An extra-alarm fire damaged popular restaurant Delia’s Kitchen in Oak Park this morning, forcing surrounding buildings to be evacuated. The restaurant’s owner had been taking her first day off in weeks when she got the phone call telling her the building was on fire.

A mother and son were acquitted last week of misdemeanor battery tied to the videotaped altercation they had with two teens who had written “Biden 2020” in chalk on the sidewalk of a South Loop park. The scuffle took place a day after President Joe Biden was elected in a contentious election against Donald Trump.

After live performances were sidelined by the pandemic, South Shore-raised and L.A.-based G Herbo will hit the stage tonight to kick off a two-day stint in the city that made him. The tour stop comes at a time of transition for the 26-year-old artist, who discussed grief, growth and more in a recent Sun-Times interview.
All aboard the holiday express! The CTA’s holiday train and bus are ready to embark on their annual journeys throughout the city. And this year, commuters are welcomed to rejoin in the fun.

A bright one

Chicago chefs share their Thanksgiving side dish recipes

Ahead of turkey day, several Chicago chefs opened up about their favorite Thanksgiving side dishes, amounting to a list of options anyone can pull from to enhance their holiday meal.

Here are a few favorites from some local experts, who also provided complete recipes for each dish in our full story.

Chef Joe Flamm’s Cavatelli ‘Cacio e Pepe’ (Rose Mary)

Noodles are a great side dish for you to bring and you’ll become the gathering’s favorite guest. Especially considering you’ll be using “Top Chef” Season 15’s winner Chef Joe’s recipe for handmade cavatelli cacio e pepe.

Chef Bill Kim’s Korean Pesto (urbanbelly, Table at Crate, Chef BK’s Pizza & Parm Shop, Chef BK’s Ramen Bar)

Maybe you’re wondering what pesto has to do with Thanksgiving — but pesto doesn’t have to be exclusive to Italian cooking. It’s just a combination of nuts and oil and herbs and other ingredients, and it can be used in anything from a dipping sauce to a soup to a marinade or to a sandwich. So Chef Bill Kim took Asian versions of these ingredients — like kimchi instead of cheese for a little fermented element–and created a similarly balanced sauce that is distinctly Korean. It adds intensity and will elevate the flavors in your food.

Chef Doug Psaltis’ Skordalia (Andros Taverna)

Courtesy Kinship
Andros Taverna Chef Doug’s Skordalia.

Is it even Thanksgiving if there aren’t any sides of potatoes? Chef Doug’s Skordalia is the dish you didn’t know you needed in your life and it will for sure be the talk of your family’s gathering.

Chef Noah Zamler’s Fall Stuffed Kabocha Squash Recipe (The Press Room)

Move over pumpkin, Chef Noah Zamler’s Stuffed Kabocha Squash recipe is the perfect side dish to serve this Thanksgiving.

Chef Johnny Besch’s Brussels Sprouts (BLVD Steakhouse)

Courtesy Kinship
BLVD Steakhouse Chef Johnny Besch’s Brussels sprouts.

A wise person once said if you don’t like Brussels sprouts, it’s because you’ve never had them prepared the right way, and you’ll learn that’s true when you try Chef Johnny’s recipe.

You can find the full recipes for these side dishes here.

From the press box

Bears head coach Matt Nagy today denied a recent report that he’s going to be fired by the team following their Thanksgiving Day matchup against Detroit.
Cary-Grove High School’s principal apologized today for “Fire Nagy” chants that his school’s student section delivered during its Class 6A state semifinal game against Lake Forest on Saturday. Nagy, who has a son on the Lake Forest team, was at the game.
Andy Dalton will be the Bears’ starting QB against the Lions, although Nagy said Justin Fields will get the job back once he’s healthy.
The Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan would prefer to focus on the team’s winning than the recent MVP chatter.

Your daily question ?

How will you be celebrating Thanksgiving this year?

Email us (please include your first name and where you live) and we might include your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday, we asked you: What’s the best part of having a long weekend?

Here’s what some of you said…

“The best part of a long weekend is having a nice block of time to stay up late or get up late — or both — making you more eLATEd than usual!” — Paul Lockwood

“Rest and relaxation!” — Tanesha Lashawn

“Spending it with loved ones.” — Lori Paradis

“More time with my family and more time for gaming.” — Douglas Nieves Jr.

“Recuperating Thursday til Sunday, since the Bears will probably lose against the Lions on Thursday. ” — Pablo Galiano

Thanks for reading the Chicago Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

Sign up here to get the Afternoon Edition in your inbox every day.

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Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) acts as mentor to an archery-loving admirer (Hailee Steinfeld) on “Hawkeye.” | Disney+

On new Disney+ series, Jeremy Renner’s right on target in expanding the personality of his ‘Avengers’ archer, with a strong assist from co-star Hailee Steinfeld.

If you think of the Avengers as an NFL team, Hawkeye is the equivalent of the field goal kicker. He’s the small guy who has a particular and valuable set of skills that can be implemented at crucial times — but let’s be real, he’s no Thor or Hulk or Cap when it comes to getting in the trenches and throwing down with mega-villains from far-flung galaxies.

The Avenging humans who remain human, e.g., Tony Stark and Spidey without their suits, Black Widow, et al., are of course the most vulnerable superheroes. (Rest in power, Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff.) So it is with Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton/Hawkeye, the reluctant antihero who wants nothing more than to retire the bow and arrow and live out his days as a husband and father to his loving family — but we all know that ain’t happening.

This is the refreshingly low-stakes, earthbound (at least in the episodes I’ve seen) setup to the new Disney+ adventure series “Hawkeye,” which favors a relatively light and even comedic touch between the occasional burst of violence, with Renner doing a superb job of adding colors to the titular character’s personality palette. Especially in the scenes with his accidental protege Kate Bishop (a wonderful Hailee Steinfeld), Clint/Hawkeye proves to be a classic father figure mentor: all gruff and “Leave me alone, kid” on the outside, but instinctively protective and caring. It’s a terrific formula, and thanks to the crisp writing and the easy chemistry between Renner and Steinfeld, “Hawkeye” could have the wings to fly for a long time.

“Hawkeye” kicks off with a prologue set in the Manhattan of 2012, where young Kate Bishop is living with her parents in a spacious penthouse when all hell breaks loose outside. Let’s check the Marvel timeline and, yep, that’s the Battle of New York, with the Avengers taking on Loki and the Chitauri Army. Kate gets a glimpse of the heroic Hawkeye doing his thing in the midst of the chaos, and from that pivotal moment forward, she wants to be the next Hawkeye. (“I need a bow and arrow,” she announces at the funeral for her pops.)

Cut to present day, and the teenage Kate (Hailee Steinfeld) is an archery star with a black belt and a penchant for getting into trouble, even as her well-meaning but preoccupied mother, Eleanor (Vera Farmiga), is planning to marry the obviously sketchy Jack Duquesne (Tony Dalton), who is definitely not who he pretends to be. Come on, Eleanor! Wake up and smell the opportunist!

Meanwhile, it’s Christmas in New York (cue “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”), and Clint Barton has taken his children Lila (Ava Russo), Cooper (Ben Sakamoto) and Nathaniel (Cade Woodward) to Manhattan while Laura (Linda Cardellini) stays home in the country, preparing the Christmas feast. Clint and the kid even take in a certain Broadway show about a uniquely American hero, and let’s just say there’s a full-fledged production number and it’s hilariously catchy while also winking at the notoriously troubled, real-life Broadway musical titled “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.”

It’s not as if Clint can forget the past anyway; he’s constantly recognized, and he can’t pay for a meal in this town. (Even when he visits the men’s room, there’s a sticker on a urinal proclaiming, “Thanos Was Right.”) Still, Clint is clearly at peace these days and happy to leave the quiver in the locker room — and that’s when he sees news footage of someone dressed as the mercenary hunter known as Ronin, and this makes no sense because CLINT was Ronin during a particularly dark period. What in the name of plot points is happening?

Suffice to say this is the portal to Clint meeting Kate and getting tangled up in her issues, which soon become his issues, and there’s a terrific albeit small moment when Clint takes a pause, exhales and lightly taps his head against a door, because he knows just by going through that door, he’ll be back in the game. Steinfeld is funny and endearing as the skilled but inexperienced Kate, who fangirls out about spending time with Clint (“Will you sign my bow and arrow?”) but is pretty quick with the quips, e.g., when Clint tells her the thugs in tracksuits hunting them down are known as “The Tracksuit Mafia,” she replies, “That’s a little on the nose, don’t you think?”

The Marvel Cinematic/Streaming Universe will never stop expanding, and this latest chapter holds the promise of becoming a solid and entertaining addition to the canon.

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Former Blackhawks forward Kyle Beach, now playing in Germany, has agreed to mediation in settlement talks. | Martin Rose/Getty Images

Two weeks after talks seemed to break down, the two sides will meet in December for mediation involving Beach’s sexual assault lawsuit against the Hawks.

CALGARY, Alberta — Settlement talks between the Blackhawks and Kyle Beach are back on.

Beach and his lawyer, Susan Loggans, have agreed to mediation with the Hawks, Loggans confirmed Tuesday.

The Hawks had been pushing for mediation as a preferred resolution method for weeks, but Loggans had initially pushed back against it. Non-binding mediation will occur in December, Loggans confirmed.

Beach’s lawsuit alleges information also found by the Jenner & Block investigation that former Hawks video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted him in May 2010 and that Hawks leadership at the time covered it up.

The two sides’ first attempt at settlement talks broke down in ugly fashion earlier this month when Loggans gave an initial financial demand that the Hawks deemed “extraordinary” and when the Hawks refused to provide their own initial offer in response.

Hawks lawyers wrote in a letter that it seemed “clear to us that we will be unable to resolve these differences through lawyer-to-lawyer discussions alone,” and Loggans told the Sun-Times she was “disgusted” by the Hawks’ lack of “fair play.”

But after Loggans’ Nov. 12 court motion again requesting the lawsuit be allowed to progress to the discovery stage — in spite of the Hawks’ still-pending motion to dismiss — was denied by a judge last Thursday, her options likely became more limited.

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Firefighters and forensic workers inspect the scene of a bus crash which, according to authorities, killed at least 45 people on a highway near the village of Bosnek, western Bulgaria, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. The bus, registered in Northern Macedonia, crashed around 2 a.m. and there were children among the victims, authorities said. | AP

The bus apparently ripped through a guardrail on a highway, though authorities said the cause was still under investigation.

SOFIA, Bulgaria — A bus carrying tourists back to North Macedonia crashed and caught fire in western Bulgaria early Tuesday, killing at least 45 people, including a dozen children, authorities said.

The bus apparently ripped through a guardrail on a highway, though authorities said the cause was still under investigation. Photos taken shortly after the crash showed the vehicle engulfed in flames as plumes of thick, black smoke rose. Daylight revealed a burned-out shell with all of its windows blown out, sitting in the median. A portion of the guardrail was peeled away and lying in the road.

Seven survivors were taken to hospitals after the crash, which happened as a group of buses was returning from a trip to Turkey. Twelve children were confirmed among the dead, according to the North Macedonia chief prosecutor, Ljubomir Joveski.

Bulgarian Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov told reporters at the crash site that he had “never in my life seen something more horrifying.”

“The people who were on the bus are turned to charcoal,” Rashkov said. “There were four buses that traveled together, and it is possible that passengers changed buses during the stops.”

Borislav Sarafov, chief of Bulgaria’s national investigation service, confirmed that 52 people were on the bus.

Among the survivors, five are North Macedonia citizens, one Serb and one Belgian, according to the North Macedonia Foreign Ministry.

Albanian Foreign Minister Olta Xhacka, meanwhile, wrote that almost all of the dead were ethnic Albanians — but it was not clear if they were also citizens of North Macedonia, home to a significant number of ethnic Albanians.

News of the crash hit hard in the small country of 2 million people. The North Macedonia government observed a minute of silence Tuesday and declared three days of mourning. Flags will be lowered to half-staff, and all public events will be canceled. The country’s prime minister traveled to Bulgaria, as did its chief prosecutor, who visited the crash site.

Azem Sadiki, mayor of Studenicani municipality near Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, told reporters Tuesday that 20 of the crash victims were residents of his community. He said the dead included a mother and her four children as well as the woman’s sister and her two children.

“We are very sad. This is a huge loss for us all, and the whole country,” Sadiki said.

The country’s prime minister, Zoran Zaev, who visited survivors in the hospital, told Bulgarian television channel bTV that one said he was awoken by an explosion.

In Skopje, police and relatives gathered outside the offices of a travel company that is believed to have organized the trip. The office looked closed, with a grate pulled down over its door.

“Now we are waiting for bad news,” Bekim Aliti, who was visibly distraught, told reporters outside the building. He said his wife and his brother’s wife were on the trip.

Eldin Shiroki said his cousin works as a tour guide for the company. “We still don’t have any accurate information — so we are waiting,” he said.

In 2019, Bulgaria had the second-highest road fatality rate in the 27-nation European Union, with 89 people killed per million, according to European Commission data.

“Let’s hope we learn lessons from this tragic incident, and we can prevent such incidents in the future,” said Bulgarian caretaker Prime Minister Stefan Yanev.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed her condolences to the families and friends of those who died and said “in these terrible times, Europe stands in solidarity with you.”

In response to the deadly crash, the Bulgarian government declared Wednesday a national day of mourning for the bus victims. The occasion will also mark the deaths of nine people who died in a nursing home fire Monday in the eastern Bulgarian village of Royak.

___

McGrath reported from Bucharest, Romania. Konstantin Testorides in Skopje, North Macedonia, contributed.

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There were no immediate reports of injuries from the fire that damaged Delia’s Kitchen, 1034 Lake St. in Oak Park, though some buildings were evacuated and roads were closed. | Manny Ramos/Sun-Times

There were no immediate reports of injuries from the fire at a building that houses Delia’s Kitchen at 1034 Lake St.

An extra-alarm fire damaged a popular restaurant in Oak Park Tuesday morning and forced the evacuation of surrounding buildings.

Firefighters were called to 1034 Lake St. around 9:30 a.m., according to the Oak Park Fire Department. Delia’s Kitchen is on the first floor of that building.

Veronica Ciobotaru, owner of the restaurant, had been taking her first day off in weeks on Tuesday when she got the phone call telling her the building was on fire.

A distraught Ciobotaru was on Lake Street Monday afternoon, watching firefighters from a nearby corner. She doesn’t know much about what could have started the fire; it was all still sinking in.

“I don’t know what else I can tell you,” Ciobotaru said before walking off.

Summer Piggee has lived in Oak Park for 20 years and Delia’s Kitchen has become a part of her life.

“We are losing a big institution of not only a business but of a really a family — an Oak Park family,” Piggee said. “I believe everybody who lives here comes to Delia’s at least once a month. They have the best pancakes in the country.”

Piggee said she hopes they can rebuild and come back better after surviving pandemic-related shutdowns.

“Veronica has done so much for this community and we need to support her during this time,” said Piggee, who has developed a friendship with the owner over the years. “Like the Chicago Fire, we can rebuild.”

The fire was put out shortly before 1 p.m. Lake Street was shut down for several blocks as firefighters worked on the blaze, officials said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

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South Carolina was the unanimous choice as the No. 1 team in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll. | Tim Aylen/Bahamas Visual Services via AP

Maryland jumped one spot to No. 2 while UConn fell to third.

South Carolina was the unanimous choice as the No. 1 team in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll released Tuesday after a dominant win over then-No. 2 UConn.

The Gamecocks won the inaugural Battle 4 Atlantis women’s championship on Monday in the 61st meeting between the top two teams in the AP poll. The AP decided to hold the poll one day so it would reflect the outcome of the game — only the second time since the poll began in 1976 that it has been delayed.

Buoyed by the victory, South Carolina garnered all 30 first-place votes from a national media panel after beating then-No. 9 Oregon and UConn on consecutive days.

“It gives us another top 10 win,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said of the UConn victory. “We said it before this game. Whether we win or lose, it can only help us.”

Maryland jumped one spot to No. 2 while the Huskies fell to third. The No. 2 ranking is the Terrapins’ best since Feb. 20, 2017. Indiana and North Carolina State were fourth and fifth again this week.

Baylor remained sixth after a tough three-point loss to Maryland. The Bears were followed by Stanford, Iowa, Arizona and Louisville to round out the top 10.

Maryland, Indiana. N.C. State and Stanford are all playing in a round-robin tournament in the Bahamas over Thanksgiving.

RISING BULLS

South Florida moved up four spots to No. 18 after a close loss to UConn and a win over Oregon in the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Bulls will stay in the Bahamas to play a game against Stanford on Friday.

WELCOME BACK

Florida Gulf Coast entered the poll for the second consecutive year, coming in at No. 25. The Eagles were ranked 24th the final two weeks last season. Georgia Tech fell out after losing to Auburn.

ALL HAIL ROCKY TOP

Tennessee jumped up five places to No. 11 after impressive wins over South Florida and Texas. It’s the Vols’ best ranking since Dec. 31, 2018, when they were 10th.

THE TOP 25

1. South Carolina 6-0

2. Maryland 6-0

3. UConn 3-1

4. Indiana 4-0

5. NC State 4-1

6. Baylor 3-1

7. Stanford 3-1

8. Iowa 4-0

9. Arizona 4-0

10. Louisville 3-1

11. Tennessee 4-0

12. Michigan 5-0

13. Iowa St. 4-0

14. Texas 3-1

15. Oregon 3-2

16. Oregon St. 3-0

17. Florida St. 4-0

18. South Florida 4-2

19. UCLA 3-0

20. Kentucky 3-1

21. Ohio St. 3-0

22. West Virginia 3-0

23. Texas A&M 4-0

24. Virginia Tech 5-0

25. Florida Gulf Coast 5-0

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