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Boston Globe
8 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Brian Albert tells ABC News he would've ‘taken a bullet' for John O'Keefe
At both of Read's trials, her lawyers stressed that Albert did not go outside to investigate what was happening outside his house when law enforcement and paramedics arrived there early on Jan. 29, 2022, amid heavy snowfall, after Read, Albert's sister-in-law Jennifer McCabe, and another woman, Kerry Roberts, found O'Keefe's body on Albert's front yard on Fairview Road. Albert told ABC that McCabe had burst into his room that morning and told him and his wife that O'Keefe was lying dead on the lawn. Advertisement He said O'Keefe 'was already gone' to the hospital by that point and 'there was nobody to save,' adding that police were in his home when he came downstairs. 'That's the most ridiculous question that people always ask,' Albert told ABC. 'It makes zero sense. What am I supposed to do, run out front in my underwear and start running yellow tape around the fire hydrant?' Advertisement Albert spoke to ABC News with his wife, Nicole Albert; her sister, Jennifer McCabe and McCabe's husband, Matt McCabe; and Chris Albert, Brian Albert's brother. They all testified at one or both of the high-profile trials in Norfolk Superior Court. At Read's retrial, jurors on Wednesday cleared Read, 45, of killing O'Keefe, her boyfriend, rejecting the prosecution's assertion that she backed her Lexus SUV into him in a drunken rage after dropping him off on Fairview following a night of bar-hopping. Her lawyers said O'Keefe entered the property, where he was fatally beaten and possibly mauled by the Albert family's German Shepherd before his body was planted on the front lawn. 'You do realize for this conspiracy to be true, it would take 30 to 50 people,' Brian Albert told ABC. 'You'd have to have multiple cops in two different police departments, multiple civilians, the medical examiner, firemen, EMTs, you name it. That's how preposterous and silly this is. ... I don't understand how people bought this.' At trial, the defense stressed that Read in the weeks leading up to O'Keefe's death had exchanged flirtatious text messages with ATF Agent Brian Higgins, who was at the second bar with the group and later went to an afterparty at the Albert home. The jury also saw surveillance footage of Higgins gesturing aggressively toward O'Keefe at the second bar before the afterparty, and additional footage of Higgins walking into the Canton police station, where he had an office, around 1:30 a.m., about an hour after authorities said Read struck O'Keefe. Advertisement Higgins is seen walking inside the station before returning back to the parking lot, where he retrieves an empty duffel bag from a vehicle. He also retrieves a garden hoe from another area of the lot. Higgins testified at the first trial that he went to the station to move cars due to the snowstorm. He also said he discarded his phone a few months after Read was charged with killing O'Keefe, because he learned one of his targets in an ATF probe had obtained his number online. He did not testify at the retrial. The case also attracted the attention of the Justice Department, which launched a separate federal grand jury investigation into state law enforcement's handling of O'Keefe's death. No one was charged with any federal crimes. Read attorney David Yannetti, during pretrial proceedings before the first trial in March 2024, said in court that text messages recovered as part of the federal case showed a rift between the Alberts and Higgins. Citing one text sent to Higgins from Kevin Albert, Brian Albert's brother and a Canton police detective, Brian Albert told ABC that his family feels let down by the legal system. 'The criminal justice system has let us down at every turn,' Albert said. 'And yesterday [Read's acquittal] was the final letdown. And that's why we're here, because there's nobody left to stand up for us.' Advertisement Jennifer McCabe also addressed her disputed Google search during the interview. She had testified at trial that she Googled on her phone how long it takes to die in the cold around 6:30 a.m. at Read's request, even though the search was timestamped at 2:27 a.m. on her device and later deleted. Forensic experts testified for the prosecution at trial that McCabe appeared to have made the search at the later time on an old tab and that the deletion appeared to have been done automatically. Read 'asked me to do it, at um, outside of Fairview at 6:20, whatever it was,' McCabe told ABC. 'Doesn't matter how much I say about it, people will not believe it.' Her sister, Nicole Albert, offered advice to people drawn into criminal investigations. 'Think real long and hard before you're a witness in a case,' Nicole Albert said. 'Because no one protects you. And it's very, very sad.' Material from prior Globe stories was used in this report. Travis Andersen can be reached at
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Din Tai Fung's co-CEOs talk legacy, TikTok virality, and the art of making Americans fall in love with dumplings
For Aaron and Albert Yang, hot soup dumplings are their legacy. The two brothers are the grandsons of the founder of Din Tai Fung, the world's most recognizable dumpling chain. Now, they're the co-CEOs of the chain's North American business and the third generation to helm the family business. Din Tai Fung — or DTF, as its followers have affectionately nicknamed it — has humble origins as a small oil shop in Taiwan. The brothers' grandfather, Yang Bing-Yi, moved from mainland China to Taiwan in the 1940s and worked in a local oil company. Yang later transitioned to selling xiao long bao, or steamed pork soup dumplings. Din Tai Fung is known for those dumplings to this day — as well as for its precision. Each xiao long bao weighs exactly 21 grams and is pleated exactly 18 times before it's closed. The chain has become a global dumpling superpower, with more than 173 outlets in 13 countries, including Singapore, the UK, and Australia. There are 21 Din Tai Fung outlets in the US and Canada, including new stores in Manhattan and California's Disneyland. And for the Yangs, the dumpling business is serious business: Every Din Tai Fung outlet in North America churns out over 10,000 xiao long baos every day, the chain told BI. A duty to carry on the family business Growing up, the brothers helped out after school in their parents' first US Din Tai Fung in Los Angeles. Aaron described the outlet as "very mom-and-pop." "Our parents are immigrants to this country, and English wasn't their first language," said Aaron, 33. "I have a lot of memories of them struggling with things that come with running a business in a foreign country." Aaron said they both went to Cornell University to pursue hospitality degrees so they could take the business pressure off their parents. "It definitely felt like a duty growing up," he added. They would also go to Taiwan every summer to visit their grandfather. "When he first started the restaurant in 1972, he lived above the restaurant with his family, so he would basically go downstairs for work," Aaron said. "Even as he got older, he lived literally across the street from the restaurant so he could see the restaurant, the first original location, from his window. He always wanted to keep an eye on it, even when he was retired and his kids had taken over," he added. Like their grandfather, both men think that being a good leader requires working on the front lines. "We had a meeting about how we can improve our dish washing station, and if I didn't go to Vancouver and stand there in the dish washing station, I'd have no idea," Albert, 32, said. Albert also does product tastings every Wednesday. "There's some exciting stuff, like new menu items. But some stuff isn't exciting. Like realizing, 'We need backup string beans' or 'backup, backup string beans,'" he said. Americans love chicken, and that's a problem for Din Tai Fung These days, DTF offers casual dining. Some of its restaurants are simple in decor; others are more elaborately furnished, with red chandeliers and dark wooden accents. In its Manhattan store, a steamer of 10 xiao long baos costs $18.50. Other popular dishes, like the string beans with garlic and the cucumber salad, cost $17 and $9, respectively. When I asked what their biggest challenge is in terms of consumer tastes in the US, their answer was immediate. "The No. 1 protein in the US is chicken. I think a lot of our American diners might be surprised if they find out that Taiwan doesn't even sell chicken fried rice," Albert said with a laugh. Taiwanese customers, he said, have a pork-heavy palate. "There are a lot more dietary restrictions in the US, which make the dining culture a little bit different compared to the original stores in Taiwan," Albert said. "In the years that I've been here, we did chicken wontons, and now the chicken xiao long baos too. "We added a beef item, and also vegan wontons," he added. The TikTok effect While Din Tai Fung doesn't have an official TikTok, videos of customers dining on its crunchy cucumber salad and biting into its oozing chocolate dumplings have regularly gone viral on the platform. Other popular customer videos highlight chefs rolling out dumpling dough in open-plan kitchens and diners digging into wooden dumpling trays. The cucumber salad, served in a neatly stacked pyramid of cucumber slices drenched in sauce, has even spawned a legion of TikTok videos devoted to copying the recipe. "We've been lucky with TikTok, we don't have our own TikTok account," Albert said. "I think our level of execution provided us some opportunity to get lucky on TikTok, and we really blew up on it. But it was all organic," he said. The CEOs said Americans, particularly younger customers, love Din Tai Fung's chocolate xiao long baos. While the brothers, who are based in California, have tailored the menu to suit Western palates, they say there's a limit. "We'll get the occasional comment of, 'Why don't you guys do like a cheeseburger soup dumpling or something?'" Aaron said. "I'm sure we would sell a lot of, I don't know, cheeseburger, dumplings, or Chinese chicken salad, or orange chicken items that Americans are used to seeing and eating," Albert added. But he said Americans, particularly those in major metropolitan cities, were craving authentic experiences, and so sticking to original recipes was important for them. "We just pride ourselves on trying to carry on this tradition and just staying true to our roots," Albert said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Craig-Hallum bullish on Neurogene, initiates with a Buy
As previously reported, Craig-Hallum analyst Albert Lowe initiated coverage of Neurogene (NGNE) with a Buy rating and $50 price target. The firm notes the company is developing NGN-401, an AAV gene therapy for Rett syndrome, a rare and devastating neurodevelopmental disease that impacts girls beginning in infancy and is characterized by developmental regression and symptoms that require lifelong care. Craig-Hallum believes Neurogene is undervalued and that NGN-401 has an elegant design that gives it the upper hand over Taysha's (TSHA) competing program TSHA-102. Looking ahead, the firm thinks NGN-401 is well-positioned to show efficacy advantages over TSHA-102 in the second half of 2025 clinical data update and be the leading gene therapy for Rett. This represents a significant commercial opportunity with pricing of over $2M in a U.S. population of about 6k patients, and Albert models WW NGN-401 sales reaching $1B in 2033, including U.S. sales of about $700M. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>> See today's best-performing stocks on TipRanks >> Read More on NGNE: Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Neurogene initiated with a Buy at Craig-Hallum Neurogene Approves Amendments at Annual Stockholders Meeting Neurogene price target raised to $26 from $22 at BMO Capital Neurogene Highlights Gene Therapy Advancements in New Update Neurogene Reports Q1 2025 Financial Progress and Updates Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Filipino Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Filipino Times
OFW in UAE becomes a millionaire through Al Ansari Exchange Millionaire Promotion
Albert P. Rioflorido, a Filipino civil engineer based in Abu Dhabi for nearly 12 years, was named the latest millionaire of the Al Ansari Exchange Millionaire Promotion, taking home AED 1 million during the grand draw held on June 12—the same day as the 127th Philippines Independence Day. Albert is known among his peers for his disciplined lifestyle. A fitness enthusiast, he enjoys gym workouts and yoga sessions. Moreover, he is known to send remittances to his family, just like thousands of OFWs in the UAE. 'Actually simula nang pagdating ko rito, Al Ansari na yung nakilala ko na padalahan ng pera,' Albert shared. 'Before, hindi kasi ako nasanay [magpadala ng pera]. Nung time na nagpadala ako, naramdaman ko yung comfort, lalo na nung na-receive ng ate ko yung amount of money,' he said, proving the convenience that the money exchange company provides. Albert also added that he is happy with how Al Ansari Exchange handles their customers' money. 'Reliable yung Al Ansari Exchange sa pinaghirapan mo yung money,' Albert said. He regularly sends money to his older sister and said the joy of supporting family is already enough. Winning the money was just a bonus from God. 'Sa akin, masaya na akong nagpapadala dun sa account to support yung kapatid ko.' Despite frequently participating in the draws, he never expected to win anything significant. Albert admitted he nearly ignored the call from Al Ansari Exchange, thinking it was a scam or a sales pitch from a credit card company. 'I was ready to say, 'I'm sorry but I am not interested,'' he said, not expecting that it would be the life-changing call from Al Ansari Exchange. Now with a million dirhams in hand, Albert is staying practical. 'Pag-lalaanan ko siya na i-invest sa business tapos gusto ko pa ring magtrabaho,' he said, but he explained he wants to enjoy the prize while he can. 'Mabilis lang yung amount na yun eh. Mabilis lang yung pera kung hindi siya nag-ge-generate,' he added. His advice for fellow Filipinos who also want to win in Al Ansari Exchange: 'Maging patient lang tayo sa pagpapadala.' He said that many Filipinos might not be expecting to win, but being able to financially help families in the Philippines is a better gain. 'Sapat na yung masaya tayo na nakakapag-ipon tayo at nakakasuporta sa pamilya sa Pilipinas.'
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Florida, Latin American and Caribbean styles long have infused buildings with color
Pink hues are associated with South Florida, yes, but the color is embraced elsewhere, too. Toulouse, France, is known as the Pink City for its heavy use of red-pink terracotta bricks. Jaipor, India, also is known as the Pink City for its pink buildings painted as a show of hospitality to welcome Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, in 1876. There's even a law in Jaipor requiring that new buildings hew to the rose hue. And while pink sometimes is linked to politics or protest, its lasting message is mostly that of health, architects said. Even the phrase 'being in the pink' conveys a message of well-being. In Florida, Latin American and Caribbean styles long have infused buildings with color. And in the 1920s, architect Addison Mizner created his signature style of Mediterranean and Spanish influences, including reddish barrel-tiled roofs, in Boca Raton and Palm Beach. People today generally associate the color pink with women and girls. Think Barbie and the hot pink marketing blitz accompanying the 2023 release of the Barbie film, followed by the Barbiecore fashion that accompanied the hoopla. But it wasn't always so. Rocco Ceo, an architecture professor at the University of Miami, said throughout the centuries, pink has been associated with wealth and often, men. 'Color is always shifting in terms of its meaning and cultural significance,' said Ceo, who teaches seminars on color theory. In the late 1970s, an up-and-coming architecture firm called Arquitectonica designed a waterfront house in Miami Shores that became known as the Pink House. The property featured five shades of rose-tinted paint, ranging from a light pink to a red. The tower features a large cutout square filled with a palm tree, a red staircase and a giant rounded hot tub. Arquitectonica then would go on to design a new condominium for the Miami skyline: the 22-story building known as The Atlantis on Brickell Bright, bold tropical colors were used to 'draw attention to this city and its potential,' Arquitectonica co-founder Fernando Fort-Brescia said in a recent interview. It worked. The next year, Christo and Jeanne-Claude's "Surrounded Islands" installation turned Miami's Biscayne Bay into an explosion of bubble-gum pink, with 11 islands surrounded by 6.5 million square feet of floating pink fabric. Then along came a television show in 1984 featuring two stylish police detectives set in a Miami wonderland of color. Miami Vice actor Don Johnson wore suits and T-shirts that often included the color pink. Although Greater Miami's once colorful Art Deco pastels had by the early 1980s decayed and turned gritty, Miami Vice depicted a sexy tropical landscape and an aspirational notion of South Florida paradise. Such was the environment when the Phillips Point complex in West Palm Beach was built in 1985 by real estate developer Murray Goodman. Alexandra Clough is a business writer at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at aclough@ X: @acloughpbp. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Why pink is associated with South Florida style, look
