An American hostage has been released by the Taliban after more than a year in custody.

Fox News reported Tuesday that Dennis Coyle, an American academic who spent nearly two decades in Afghanistan before being detained by the Taliban without charges, has finally been released after more than a year in near-solitary confinement.

‘Today, Dennis is on his way home.’

Coyle, 64, was taken from his home in Kabul in January 2025.

“The United States welcomes the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle, who was wrongfully detained in Afghanistan for more than a year,” Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler said in a statement to Fox News.

RELATED: Suspect in National Guard shooting was part of CIA-backed unit that hunted down Taliban commanders

Photo by Wakil KOHSAR / AFP via Getty Images

Earlier this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Afghanistan as a state sponsor of wrongful detention, writing on social media, “The Taliban continue to use terrorist tactics to seek policy concessions, but it won’t work under this administration. The Taliban must release Dennis Coyle, Mahmood Habibi, and all Americans unjustly detained in Afghanistan.”

On Tuesday, Rubio celebrated Coyle’s release as “a positive step towards ending the practice of hostage diplomacy.”

“Earlier this month, I met Molly, Amy, and Patti as they asked for help freeing their brother Dennis Coyle from detention in Afghanistan. Today, Dennis is on his way home. We thank the UAE and Qatar for their support,” Rubio said on social media.

Coyle’s family told Fox News that Coyle had been working legally as an academic researcher to support language communities in Afghanistan.

He was seized on January 27, 2025, just days after another American, Ryan Corbett, was released at the start of President Trump’s second term, CBS News reported on the anniversary of Coyle’s detention.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Coyle’s release on social media. A section of the translated post on X reads: “[The release] has further strengthened the atmosphere of trust between the two countries. Likewise, it expresses the hope that both countries will, in the future, find ways to resolve the remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.”

Habibi’s status is unclear. The U.S. government, including the House Foreign Affairs Committee, claims he was taken hostage by the Taliban in August 2022. The State Department has offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his whereabouts.

CBS News reported in January that the Taliban denies that they arrested him.

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Even though the COVID-19 pandemic is quickly fading into a distant memory for many Americans, BlazeTV host Matt Kibbe refuses to let the unanswered questions from that corrupt era fade into obscurity. His docuseries “The Coverup” is both a deep dive into COVID fraud and lies and a demand for accountability.

In episodes 1-5, Kibbe teamed up with a number of experts and whistleblowers — Stanford professor of medicine and current NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), former coronavirus task force adviser Scott Atlas, molecular biologist Dr. Richard Ebright, and Twitter Files journalist Matt Taibbi. Together, they exposed the gamut of COVID-era scandals, including widespread censorship, risky gain-of-function research, suspicious behind-the-scenes White House dynamics, Anthony Fauci’s smoking-gun history of funding dangerous virus experiments, and the network of health bureaucracies that together formed a pandemic industrial complex.

The series now arrives at its sixth and final installment: “The Separation of Science from State.”

It stares at one of the most consequential unanswered questions of our time: What is the true origin of the virus — and why has it been so difficult to nail down the answer?

In this episode, Kibbe partners with science writer and former House of Lords member Matt Ridley. A longtime advocate for scientific innovation and institutional trust, Ridley initially dismissed the lab-leak theory, but after weighing the mounting evidence — from genetic anomalies in the virus to inconsistencies in early reporting — he arrived at a conclusion that shocked him: “This isn’t a conspiracy theory. This is a conspiracy.”

Episode 6 explores how the “natural origin” narrative became gospel — and why it was so aggressively protected.

The evidence paints a far more complex picture. From genetic anomalies and a bat virus with a suspicious name change to sick mine workers whose samples ended up in a Wuhan lab and the flow of U.S. dollars into risky gain-of-function research, the narrative the world was told to accept and never question starts to unravel in surprising ways.

Together, Kibbe and Ridley pull back the curtain on how one story took over, how inconvenient questions were silenced, and how everyday researchers refused to let the truth stay buried.

Episode 6 of “The Coverup” is available now on BlazeTV. If you’re not already a subscriber, join the BlazeTV family today. Use code LABLEAK to get $40 off your subscription.

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More details and responses have emerged after tragedy struck New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Sunday night.

Blaze News previously reported that an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 plane operated by regional partner Jazz Aviation struck a Port Authority Airport Rescue and Firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate incident.

‘I feel like the pilots saved our lives.’

The incident, which occurred between approximately 11:40 p.m. and 11:47 p.m. on Sunday, according to multiple official sources, was likely caused by “multiple failures,” according to a lead investigator.

An air traffic controller could be heard saying, “I messed up,” shortly after the incident, which killed both pilots and hospitalized 41 other people, including the two workers in the emergency vehicle involved in the collision.

RELATED: ‘I messed up’: LaGuardia Airport shut down after deadly collision

The air traffic controller was coordinating the response to another, unrelated issue with a United Airlines flight across the tarmac. There were reports of a strange odor.

National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy appeared on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday and said that “we have a lot of questions” about the incident. She said it was “too early” to begin casting blame on any one actor involved.

“We have found in all of our investigations that it is not a single error that led to a terrible tragedy,” Homendy said.

“It takes multiple failures to occur for an accident like this. So we’re going to look very comprehensively.”

Thirty-two of the 41 injured had been released from the hospital as of Monday morning, Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said during a press conference. However, she reported that there were some serious injuries as well.

Many of the passengers of the flight told reporters that they felt they owed their lives to the late pilots, who did everything in their power to prevent a worse collision.

The New York Post reported that Rebecca Liquori told CNN on Monday that she is “forever indebted” to pilot Antoine Forest and first officer Mackenzie Gunther.

“I feel like the pilots saved our lives,” Liquori told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Monday. “They’re the reasons I was able to make it home safe to see my boys, and my heart goes out to their families.”

Jack Cabot, another passenger, had similar thoughts on the incident. “Right as we hit the ground, we kind of felt, like, the brake was pretty hard, and we all felt something was wrong,” Cabot told the CBC News Network. “And then, it was just this sudden, overwhelming, like, panic, because we’d hit something, and there was nobody in control.”

LaGuardia reopened at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, though Runway 4, the scene of the crash, is expected to be closed for longer due to the investigation and removal of debris.

There will reportedly be a more detailed press conference on Tuesday, though Homendy told Fox that “conclusions will take time.”

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​Politics, Laguardia airport, Laguardia, Jennifer homendy, Rebecca liquori, Antoine forest, Kathryn garcia, Port authority of new york and new jersey, National transportation safety board, Air traffic controller, United airlines 

Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma went outside the world of politics to fill the Senate seat of newly confirmed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

On Tuesday morning, Stitt tapped energy executive Alan Armstrong following Mullin’s Senate confirmation Monday night. Mullin is now set to be sworn in Tuesday afternoon to replace current DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who leaves the department on March 31.

‘He’s a strong business leader.’

Stitt first praised President Donald Trump in a press conference Tuesday morning, applauding him for selecting Mullin to head the DHS. He also congratulated Mullin before naming Armstrong as his temporary replacement.

“I’m incredibly proud now to announce that my pick as the next U.S. senator of the state of Oklahoma is Mr. Alan Armstrong,” Stitt said at the press conference.

RELATED: Trump’s new DHS pick sails through Senate confirmation despite lone GOP defection

Stitt referred to Armstrong’s extensive career in the energy industry, serving as CEO and president of Williams Companies, a Tulsa-based energy firm. He later stepped down to serve as executive chairman of the board of directors at Williams Companies last year and previously chaired the Department of Energy’s National Petroleum Council.

“He’s a strong business leader who understands the power of free markets and limited government,” Stitt said. “He’s spent his career fighting for Oklahoma’s energy industry and providing affordable, reliable energy to all of America.”

RELATED: Trump adds new condition to ICE airport plan in DHS shutdown fight

F. Carter Smith/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Armstrong will serve the short remainder of Mullin’s term, which ends in January 2027.

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​Donald trump, Kevin stitt, Oklahoma, Markwayne mullin, Kristi noem, Dhs, Department of homeland security, Senate republicans, Oil, Energy, Alan armstrong, Politics 

The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem has announced that at least some traditional Holy Week observances have been canceled or postponed as the military conflict in the Holy Land rages on.

On Sunday, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa issued a statement to note that the ongoing war in the region and the “restrictions” imposed as a result will not permit the faithful “to experience the traditional Lenten journey in Jerusalem.”

‘The empty tomb is the seal of the victory of life over hatred, of mercy over sin.’

In particular, the traditional Palm Sunday procession from Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives has been canceled, he said. The Chrism Mass, a Mass traditionally offered during Holy Week, during which a bishop consecrates sacred oils, has been “postponed to a date to be determined.”

Pizzaballa claimed that he is working with “competent authorities” as well as leaders of other Christian churches to find a way for the public to “celebrate the central mystery of our salvation” during Holy Week. However, since “the situation is constantly evolving,” decisions will still be made “on a day-to-day basis,” he added.

The Catholic churches within the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which covers Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Cyprus, will remain open, his statement noted.

The cardinal then called on Christians to turn to prayer.

“The harshness of this time of war, which affects us all, today bears the added burden of not being able to celebrate Easter together and with dignity. This is a wound that adds to the many others inflicted by the conflict. But we must not allow ourselves to be discouraged. Though we may not gather as we would like, let us not give up prayer.”

Pizzaballa then invited the faithful everywhere to recite the rosary on March 28 “to implore the gift of peace and serenity, especially for those suffering because of the conflict.”

He closed the announcement by offering a message of hope: “Easter, which we celebrate in the name of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, reminds us that no darkness, not even that of war, can have the last word. The empty tomb is the seal of the victory of life over hatred, of mercy over sin.”

RELATED: Israel launches strikes on Iran as Trump calls for de-escalation

Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu/Getty Images

Meanwhile, the Custody of the Holy Land issued a statement Saturday to note that the community of Franciscan friars at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre have “never ceased, day or night, to carry out the scheduled celebrations, the rites, the daily processions, and the liturgical prayers according to the provisions of the Status Quo.”

However, the Custody also admitted that the situation remains in flux on account of the military strikes.

“At the present time, it is not possible to make any predictions regarding the celebrations of Holy Week. The Custody of the Holy Land remains in constant dialogue with the competent authorities and with the other Churches responsible for the Holy Sepulchre. As soon as clear indications are available regarding the celebrations, official communications will be issued through the institutional channels,” the statement said.

President Donald Trump has indicated that the U.S. is close to meeting its “objectives” regarding the strikes in Iran and that he is considering “winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East.” He even said Monday that the U.S. and Iranian officials had discussed “A COMPLETE AND TOTAL RESOLUTION OF OUR HOSTILITIES.”

However, even as Trump suggested that peace might be on the horizon, Israel launched a series of strikes on “Iranian terror regime headquarters” in Tehran, casting doubt on imminent peace.

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​Basilica of the holy sepulchre, Chrism mass, Donald trump, Holy land, Holy week, Jerusalem, Latin patriarchate of jerusalem, Mount of olives, Pierbattista pizzaballa, Pizzaballa, Politics 

A kooky segment by a team of radio hosts turned awkward when they were confronted by a Catholic interviewer.

Three radio hosts performed in a “rage room” recently and were seen smashing statues of both Jesus and Mary in what was meant to be a comical segment showcasing the stress-relieving benefits of participating in the group activity.

‘That would be inappropriate.’

“We had a ‘Rage Room’ because we were beating the blue out of the Monday,” said Eva De Roo, a host from Studio Brussel in Belgium.

“People could text us, like, ‘I have a really a blue Monday because my car broke and everything,’ and [we say], ‘Okay, we’ll smash something for you,'” the host continued as her colleagues chuckled.

However, reporter Colm Flynn — from the EWTN Global Catholic Network — was interested to find out whether the hosts were willing to smash statues of religious figures that represent other faiths.

“I know you laugh, but do you think that for many listeners, they would find that so deeply offensive to take a bat and to smash Jesus into pieces?”

“That’s a very good question,” host Sam De Bruyn replied.

“I think in Belgium, not really. We’re not a very religious country.”

De Bruyn also qualified the sketch by saying all the statues they smashed were “already broken.”

That’s when Flynn turned the tables.

RELATED: Parthenope’s Revenge

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

“Let me ask you this: If you were doing the video again, would you smash a symbol of the prophet Muhammad?”

De Bruyn replied, “That is a very dangerous one,” before De Roo jumped in.

“No, because that would be inappropriate,” she claimed, noting that there are many Muslims in Belgium.

Flynn said, “There are Christians, too. I know the pope visited Belgium recently.”

De Roo and colleagues then clarified that they thought the stunt was okay because they were raised in the “Christian tradition.”

With the hosts floundering, the reporter jumped to the third host, Dries Lenaerts, and asked if he would smash a Star of David.

RELATED: Satan is real — whether his depraved fashion-world followers believe it or not

Leisa Tyler/LightRocket/Getty Images

“Uhh, I wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t do it,” Lenaerts quickly replied.

De Bruyn said being raised Catholic gave the group more leeway to perform such an act and that it would be harder to do so about a religion “you know nothing about.”

The reporter, who revealed that he covers religion for major networks, did not let the group off the hook.

“You see that hypocrisy: Jesus Christ statue, smash it in two, but [you] never [see it] for Muhammad or for anything to do with the Jewish faith.”

The hosts, specifically De Bruyn, went on to defend their actions by describing their publicly funded audience as “very alternative” and “not “very religious in any way.”

However, De Roo soon jumped in to apologize, said the hosts did not think about the activity very much beforehand, and claimed that any offense they cause to listeners is often discussed on the air.

Broadcaster VRT Studio Brussel later issued another apology for the video, saying the company “misjudged the ‘Blue Monday’ sketch.”

Spokeswoman Yasmine Van der Borght said the team apologized for what was “intended to be a humorous action, and they have underestimated how sensitive religious symbols can be. They understand that this was hurtful to some people and would make different choices today.”

The apology concluded, “VRT believes it’s important that all of its employees show respect for every religion. We are not concerned with comparing religions, but with dealing with everyone’s beliefs with care.”

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A Colorado school employee has been accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old student, and authorities believe the employee is on the run from law enforcement.

The Greeley Police Department said in a statement that officers on Feb. 12 responded to reports that a Greeley-Evans School District 6 staff member sexual assaulted a 13-year-old student.

‘This can get me fired.’

Police identified the staffer as 34-year-old Brenda Meza.

“During the investigation, it was determined Meza engaged in continuous sexual abuse of the minor for several months,” police said.

The New York Post reported that Meza could face 12 felonies, including sexual assault of a child, internet luring of a child, and tampering with physical evidence, as well as one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

However, Meza now may be on the run. Police said attempts to contact Meza have been “unsuccessful.”

Police questioned Meza’s husband during a March 11 traffic stop, but he said he didn’t know where his wife was — and that he was on his way to the Mexican border, according to Post.

Meza was a staff member at Franklin Middle School at the time of the accusations.

KDVR-TV obtained a letter that school Principal Suzette Luster sent to parents of students.

“Student safety and security is always our first priority. We are very sorry if these allegations have negatively impacted our school, staff, and students,” Luster said.

Luster also noted, “If your student needs extra support during this time, please reach out to our counseling office.”

Meza was placed on administrative leave on Feb. 12 and terminated on Feb. 25, according to KDVR.

Citing the letter, KDVR reported that Meza was hired in February 2020.

“While employed at the middle school, she worked as the school secretary, assisted with club games and coached cross-country, and had also served as a substitute for a year beforehand,” according to KDVR.

Luster also said in the letter that police told her investigators believe Meza has fled the state to avoid prosecution.

RELATED: 5th-grade teacher — accused of having ‘sexual conversation’ with child under 12 — now slapped with far more shocking charges

According to an arrest affidavit the New York Post obtained, Meza told police during an interview that the teen discovered her Instagram during Thanksgiving break last year.

According to the affidavit, Meza sent photos of her buttocks and breasts after the 8th-grader at Franklin Middle School messaged her pictures of his genitals.

During the interrogation, Meza told investigators that she and the boy “got super close to each other … almost the point of having sex,” the affidavit said.

In January, Meza met the boy at a Walmart parking lot, where they consumed ready-to-drink cocktails and marijuana before having sex for the first time, the affidavit said.

Police later found photos of the school secretary and the student inside a car showing the boy drinking alcohol and holding marijuana, court documents said.

Meza had sex with the student two more times over the next few weeks, according to the Post.

The Post, citing police, also reported that Meza “allegedly bragged that the victim’s manhood was bigger than her own husband’s …”

The affidavit stated that Meza sent several “I love you” text messages to the boy and told the teen she would get jealous if she caught him talking to female classmates at school.

Franklin Middle School received an anonymous tip about the alleged child sex abuse on Feb. 12.

The Post reported that school officials confronted Meza about the allegations, and she confessed to her husband that she “got high” and had creepy interactions with a student.

The husband called police after his wife’s alleged admission, the Post reported.

The affidavit said Meza admitted to knowing the boy’s age and texted the alleged victim, “This can get me fired.”

Greeley Police told Blaze News on Monday that Meza is still at large and that there are no updates on the case. Greeley Police also told Blaze News that Meza wasn’t arrested when police interviewed her Feb. 12 because it’s a “complex case” and that they were still working on compiling evidence and interviewing victims and potential witnesses. Greeley Police added to Blaze News that when officers went to arrest Meza about a month later, she was gone.

The investigation is ongoing.

Officials said those with information regarding the case or where Meza can be located should call the Greeley Police Department at 970-502-2186.

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​Brenda meza, Child sex crimes, Child sex abuse, Child sexual assault, Teacher sex scandal, Teacher student sex scandal, Bad teacher, Colorado, Crime