New bird, who’s this? Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin say a hybrid between a blue jay and green jay was discovered in a San Antonio-area backyard, marking the first documented case of the two distinct species breeding with each other in the wild. Police in Uvalde say home surveillance footage that captured the moment a congressional aide caught on fire showed she was alone. The staffer for Rep. Tony Gonzales ultimately succumbed to her wounds. Here’s the top news from this week:
Wild jay mash-up in Texas hints at climate-driven range shifts
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin documented the first known wild hybrid of a blue jay and green jay after a backyard sighting in Universal City near San Antonio. They captured the bird with a mist net, took a blood sample and confirmed through DNA that it had a female green jay and male blue jay as parents. The team linked the cross to overlapping ranges driven by warming temperatures and changing land use, bringing species separated by about 7 million years of evolution into contact. The hybrid later returned to the same yard, suggesting surprising longevity, and researchers noted the only prior record was a captive hybrid from the 1960s.
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Uvalde police say aide to Rep. Tony Gonzales was alone before fatal fire
Uvalde police said home surveillance showed Regina Ann Santos-Aviles alone in her backyard when a fire began that led to her death from severe burns. Investigators reported no evidence of another person’s involvement and awaited final analyses from the state crime lab and the Bexar County medical examiner. Santos-Aviles served as regional district director for Rep. Tony Gonzales after earlier work at the Uvalde Area Chamber of Commerce. Her mother said she had been upset that night about her son spending the weekend with his father, and firefighters responded to a report of an individual on fire before she was airlifted to a San Antonio burn unit. Her husband said the Texas Rangers interviewed him and reiterated that the truth shall come to light, while Gonzales had not contacted the family or commented.
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USAA to pay $5 million to settle Maryland late-fee suit
USAA agreed to pay $5 million to settle a proposed class action by Maryland auto insurance customers who said the insurer illegally charged late fees and kept interest on refunded amounts. Plaintiffs said USAA collected $8.1 million in improper fees from more than 127,000 policyholders, refunded about $7.3 million but withheld gains after it withdrew authority to charge the fees yet continued for about eight years. USAA denied wrongdoing and said settling would avoid costly litigation while it focused on serving members. The deal included up to $2 million for attorney fees, required court approval and followed a regulatory probe and consent order that imposed a penalty. A judge tossed a breach-of-contract claim but let other claims proceed, and named plaintiffs would receive awards up to $7,500 and $3,500…