Here’s a little musical interlude while you digest your Thanksgiving turkey or tofu substitute, if you’re a vegetarian.  Chicago’s reporting Ponce brothers, Anthony and Dan Ponce flashed their musical talent for charity at Chicago’s Newsapalooza3 singing their own TV version of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.” Dan is a reporter for Chicago’s CW affiliate WGN while Anthony reports for Chicago’s NBC owned station WMAQ.

“This was the first time we’ve ever performed anything together and we’re flattered the audience liked it,” Anthony Ponce told TVSpy.  “It was a lot of fun, so hopefully it’s not the last time. We collaborated on the lyrics and tried to stay as true to the sound of Billy Joel’s words as we could so as to not completely butcher a classic.”

Newsapalooza is a musical benefit where news talent showcase their skills in the name of charity. This year, the event raised money for Clearbrook, the largest private provider of services for children and adults with developmental disabilities in the State of Illinois.

A rotating cast of WGN substitutes will fill in for Mark Suppelsa this month, Time Out Chicago’s Robert Feder reports.

Suppelsa, who anchors the 5 and 9 p.m. weeekday newscasts on the Chicago CW-affiliate, announced on Friday that he would take a month away from the anchor desk to seek treatment for an alcohol addiction. He expects to be back in June.

Micah Materre and Lourdes Duarte are handling Suppela’s responsibilities this week and next. Tom Negovan and Dan Ponce will anchor through the end of May, WGN news director Greg Caputo told Feder.

Following an incident in which Chicago police handcuffed WGN reporter Dan Ponce, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said this week that he doesn’t “believe in handcuffing reporters.”

“Whether I like what you write or whether I like what you report, you have an essential role in telling the truth,” Emanuel said to a group of reporters on Monday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.  “I want to say this: You won’t be handcuffed. That I can assure you today.”

A little over a week ago, Ponce and WMAQ photographer Donte Williams were handcuffed outside of a hospital as they attempted to report on the murder of a six-year-old girl.  Police detained the pair while they were situated on a median in a street alongside the hospital. Read more

Chicago police took WGN reporter Dan Ponce and WMAQ photographer Donte Williams into custody on Saturday, saying the two were “creating a scene” outside of Mt. Sinai Hospital.

Ponce and Williams, who were part of a media contingent covering the fatal shooting of a six-year-old girl, were handcuffed by an officer after they refused to move farther away from the hospital (video above). “You first amendment rights can be terminated if you create a scene,” the officer told them. “Your first amendment rights have limitations.” Read more