We know what’s coming and we are prepared.
KYIV – Iuilia Mendel was Ukrainian President Zelenskiy’s press secreteary from 2019 to 2021, when she left her position under a suspicious cloud of rumor and innuendo as to the reason behind her departure.
In June 2019, shortly after Zelenskyy’s election, she won a competitive selection (from thousands of applicants) to become his press secretary and spokesperson—a role she held until July 2021. She had a front-row seat to major events: Zelenskyy’s meetings with world leaders (including Putin), front-line visits in Donbas, handling the fallout from the Trump-Zelenskyy phone call that led to Trump’s first impeachment, and efforts to reform Ukraine’s post-Soviet institutions toward European democracy. She described the job as intense, with long hours and high stakes, and resigned voluntarily, citing health, pace, and personal goals (though some media speculated on tensions).
Yesterday, she posted comments on her Facebook page about Zelenskiy’s close advisor Andriy Yermak, accusing him of being involved with ‘dark arts’ magic, and ‘draining water from corpses’ in the cemetary, and importing magicians into Ukraine.
This post has electrified Ukrainian internet discussion and political circles. Her X account is @IuliiaMendel; however, the original post was on Facebook.
Yermak was pushed out of office several months ago, and is alleged to be President Zelenskiy’s homosexual lover.
America’s bees and beekeepers are losing a valuable ally just when they need its help most.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to soon close the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, a 6,500-acre agricultural research station in Maryland that is home to the nation’s premier bee research and disease diagnosis hub, the Beltsville Bee Research Lab.
The closure comes at a critical moment for bees. In winter 2025, many beekeepers lost over half their operations as pesticide-resistant varroa mites spread, bringing deadly viruses. The losses have led to low honey production, and soaring fuel costs have made shipping bees cross-country for agricultural pollination increasingly expensive, further stressing the industry.
