How Trump can restore the chain of command: Fire the foreign-policy hacks who lied to him, and bring the troops home by Christmas.

Nov. 23.– Looking for a coup that is succeeding? Don’t look to President Donald Trump, who is distancing himself from lawyers and apparently planning his exit. Look instead to Trump’s envoy for Syria engagement, James Jeffrey.

Jeffrey gave a valedictory exit interview to Defense One, as he was about to retire. He was astonishingly frank. And he was mostly upbeat about Trump’s foreign-policy record in the Middle East. But he was asked about Trump’s intention to withdraw all American troops from Syria, which he tweeted about and shouted down to his own national-security adviser. “What Syria withdrawal?” Jeffrey asked. “There was never a Syria withdrawal.”

A conversation with investigative reporter Joshua Philipp.

Remember when you could turn on the evening news with little doubt that the journalists were, to the best of their knowledge, delivering the truth? Whether we were living in ignorant bliss or a more virtuous world, it sure made consuming news less stressful.

Today, of course, deciphering truth from fiction seems ever more important and challenging. World events hit closer to home than ever before, and it’s a challenge to make good decisions for the health and well-being of our families—not to mention the future of our country—if we can’t determine with confidence whether the information we’re being given is accurate.

So, how can we tell whether or not the news we’re consuming is reliable? I asked Joshua Philipp, an Epoch Times award-winning investigative reporter and the host of the show “Crossroads With Joshua Philipp,” for advice on navigating these muddy waters. Here’s what he said.

The Epoch Times: What has changed in the past few years that has so eroded our trust in the news?