There was a media blackout on this story, but Gawker notably broke it. Fortunately, NBC News journalist Richard Engel and the rest of his team were able to escape harm after being kidnapped in Syria last week. They were freed after a firefight at a Syrian checkpoint. “It is good to be here. I’m very happy that we’re able to do this live shot this morning,” Engel said. Very glad to hear he’s OK; Engel is one of our best.