INTERNATIONAL
Disco brothers Van Hechter & Chauncey Dandridge take on NYC Pride with a brand new pop duet!

In 2019, for the 50th anniversary of gay liberation, Van Hechter and Chauncey Dandridge came up with a fantastic anthem- celebrating The Stonewall Inn— where Pride began…
Last year they charted all over underground USA with a bubbly pop duet entitled ”The Delight”.
This year they are back with yet another ”LGBTQ” themed song; ”Disco Brother”! It’s camp, it’s fun, it’s catchy as hell and it will be premiered live on Saturday, June 25th, at The Stonewall Inn sometime around midnight…
We spoke to the pair- to know more about the track – how it came about- and why activism is important to them…
C: I’ve always been the person who likes to lead by example, and I have my own activist idols that I learn from and am inspired by every day. My whole family was always volunteering and doing community building, it’s in my blood and feels completely natural.There’s so much to fight for, these days especially. I try to round up as many troops as I can whether it be at a protest or with a song!
V: I’ve never really thought of myself as an ”activist” per se. More like a fighter. I’ll fight homophobia with every fiber of my body- until the final breath, I befriend the homeless and treat them with dignity… I do it on an individual, daily level. I don’t see myself as a ”system changer”… I attack on the ground.
First… Are you ”Disco Brothers” ??
V: Yes and what a surprising brotherhood! I waltzed into the Stonewall Inn one day and it seems Chauncey and I have been texting daily since! This wasn’t planned- a totally odd bond!
C: Yes we certainly are. I share things with him that I honestly don’t share with many other people, even friends I’ve had forever. There’s something magical about meeting a new friend when you’re already grown up. You can share nostalgia while building new memories the two of you share. We come from such different worlds, but have the same childlike sense of humor and lust for life.
Who produced the song?
C: There’s this guy who picks us up at the train station. He drives us to his house and we go into this little room and they make me sing over and over and over until I almost get it right. His name is Eryck I think.
V: Eryck is an amazing associate. God the work flows and that relationship is gold to me. Plus I love his wife, which only sweetens the pot, really! Like: I have a very specific friendship with her on the side…
A video comes out simultaneously, right? How did that come about; filming, concept, etc etc?
V: Gio Spano filmed with his super cool husband. We were at my friend’s resort, The Big Coconut Guesthouse… We just decided to get silly. Silliness has always been a tradition in homosexual culture- we wanted to embrace that! And— stroke of luck: I found 2 guys who were there on holiday to play our boyfriends. They were so perfect- and such fun- they dove right in with us!
C: Van was the mastermind behind our very first proper video together. We were both in Fort Lauderdale for a gig and made it happen. Gio Spano and his hubby did the filming while the rest of the guests at the resort watched. It was really an uncanny experience for me for sure.
When “The Delight” was getting released we were in lockdown and in two different countries, so this is our first time sharing the screen and we really are a fun and funky pair. I’ve said it before, I think we need our own sitcom.
Your songs together- are fun, but they’re also ”political” in a way…
C: There’s always something political surrounding anything unapologetically queer. We’re still fighting for everything we deserve. It’s also always kind of brilliant to wrap a message of unity and being a freedom fighter inside a joyous and campy disco coating. Like Van says, “Dancing can save the world.”
V: The minute you write about having once been an underdog- things become slightly political whether you intend’em to or not. I write about what I know- about my reality. How it is received is out of my control. However if it helps I’m thrilled!
What does Pride mean to you?
V: The pride of no longer being ashamed… I’m very proud to have overcome the shame. I am very proud to feel like a full man- not a half one as many have tried to make me believe through my childhood, teens and early adulthood.
C: Pride to me is a fluid thing, almost like lava. It’s a journey. We are taught so many things as kids that take a lifetime to unlearn. Pride is about visibility and looking out for one another. It’s certainly not a sin. It’s more of an accomplishment. A work in progress.
What comes after ”Disco Brother”?
C: We have a few more tricks up our sleeve to round out our EP. It really is such a wonderful collection of songs that tap into the power of being gay and the trials, joys, treats and tribulations that we experience. Van would have probably forgotten about me by now though if it weren’t for the pandemic, but he’s stuck with me for at least a few more releases!
V: More music! More craziness! More brotherhood! And year ’round Pride!
‘

INTERNATIONAL
Ocean census aims to discover 100,000 previously unknown marine species

Researchers have embarked on an ambitious global initiative to discover and record marine life hidden in the world’s oceans.
Ocean Census aims to identify 100,000 unknown species in the next 10 years, allowing scientists to better understand and protect the deep-sea ecosystem.
There are huge gaps in our knowledge of the ocean depths. Of the 2.2 million species believed to exist in the Earth’s oceans, only 240,000 have been described by scientists, according to the census.
Technological advances
It typically takes scientists at least a year to definitively describe a species post-discovery, but new types of technology are making it much easier for sea creatures to be studied in their natural habitat. These include tools like underwater laser scanning that can scan gelatinous creatures such as jelly fish that are hard to study on land.
“You can now look at (the creature) in the water column and see what the morphology is and study them in situ,” said Jyotika Virmani, the executive director of the Schmidt Ocean Institute in Palo Alto, California, which will participate in the project.
“What we’re moving towards is a place where we can actually perhaps even do taxonomic identification in the water column instead of bringing everything back to land. And that’s really exciting and will make things move a lot faster.”
All living organisms, including humans, disperse genetic material into the environment, and the project will also make use of new and accessible techniques to sample waterborne DNA to detect and track species.
While many of the species discovered are likely to be on the smaller end of the scale, Virmani noted that the world’s longest sea creature was only discovered in 2020 off the coast of Western Australia — a 150-foot stringlike animal known as a siphonophore.
Ocean Census will also help to identify how marine ecosystems are responding to the climate crisis, and assess how marine life could adapt to a warmer climate.
The project is being led by Nekton, a UK-based marine science and conservation institute, and funded by The Nippon Foundation, a nonprofit foundation based in Japan.
Over the next decade, dozens of expeditions to the ocean’s biodiversity hotspots will search for new species involving divers, submarines and deep-sea robots. The project also hopes to involve private vessels and individuals. The data and information gathered will by openly accessible for scientists, policymakers and the public for noncommercial use.
INTERNATIONAL
3 tips can help you save if you’re living paycheck to paycheck, personal finance expert Suze Orman says

When you’re living paycheck to paycheck, it can be tough to find money to save.
That was the situation one audience member, Natalie, wrote in about ahead of CNBC’s Women & Wealth event on Tuesday. While grappling with high childcare and housing costs, Natalie is barely breaking even, she wrote, which makes finding money to set aside for big goals like retirement difficult.
A recent CNBC Your Money Financial Confidence Survey, conducted in partnership with Momentive, shows that she is not alone. More than half, or 58%, of all Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, according to the March results.
If you find setting money aside difficult, it’s a sign that it’s time to change your lifestyle, personal finance expert Suze Orman said.
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“You have to strike the word ‘can’t’ out of your vocabulary,” Orman said in response to the audience query.
Rather, people should draw up a financial to-do list right now that includes getting out of credit card debt, having an eight- to 12-month emergency fund and funding their retirement accounts, Orman said.
That’s as many experts, including Orman, say a recession could be coming.
But whether there is a recession or not, you need to be prepared that an unexpected event — like an illness, accident or layoff — could set you back, Orman said.
“The most important thing, really, for everybody to understand about their money … is that you have got to live a life below your means, but within your needs,” Orman said.
Several tips can help you get started.
1. Make yourself a ‘No. 1 priority’
Portrait of an elegant man in a suit preparing for an important day at work
Daniloandjus | E+ | Getty Images
People who think they are living paycheck to paycheck likely have something they are doing with money that they should not be doing, Orman said.
For example, if you go out to eat rather than eating in, that’s $10 you could be putting into a Roth individual retirement account — an account for post-tax contributions towards retirement.
“You have to make yourself a No. 1 priority,” Orman said.
That means you do what you have to do in order to meet your financial goals, she said, even if it means taking on more than one job or cutting back on discretionary expenses.
You should be always be funding your retirement accounts, Orman said.
2. Automate your savings
To get into the habit of setting money aside, it’s best to automate the process, Orman said.
So whether you choose to do $50 a month or $100 a month, by setting aside money before you see it in your paycheck, “you will find that you do not miss it,” Orman said.
INTERNATIONAL
Inside MT BARBER: The Rising Star in the Barber Shop Industry

Gustavo Olmedo Romero, a professional barber from Oaxaca, Mexico, is making waves in the world of barbering with his brand MT BARBER. Born on September 1, 1986, Gustavo migrated to the United States at the age of 15 in search of a better future. He settled in New Brunswick for two years before moving to Delaware, where he worked multiple jobs, including dishwasher, cook, and gardener.
This period of his life was crucial in shaping his work ethic, and Gustavo is now living his dream.
At the age of 24, Gustavo started learning the profession that had fascinated him since childhood. He taught himself through videos and practice sessions with his friends, and in 2010, he began working in a barber shop where he worked for seven years, honing his skills and becoming a high-level barber. In 2017, Gustavo opened his first barber shop called MT BARBER SHOP, where he employed 12 barbers. Two years later, he opened his second shop with the same name, adding 12 more barbers to his team and expanding his brand.

According to Gustavo, the world of barbering is an excellent profession to learn and grow in, but it requires a lot of discipline and constant learning because haircuts and styles are continually evolving. Gustavo has also worked with professional soccer players, including José Andrés Martínez and Gelmin Rivas. His vision is to expand his brand nationally and internationally, and he knows that it will take a lot of hard work and effort, but he is determined to achieve his goals.
MT BARBER’s Instagram handle is @mexican_talent, and you can book an appointment on their website mtbarbershop.booksy.com. Gustavo Olmedo Romero is changing the world of barbering with his brand, MT BARBER, and he is an inspiration to many aspiring barbers.
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