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Top Stories: North Texas White Supremacist Gang Members Charged; ERCOT Predicts Busy Summer

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The top local stories this evening from KERA News: 

Federal authorities say dozens of people associated with white supremacist gangs in Texas have been arrested on charges of drug trafficking and also a kidnapping that included using a hatchet to chop off the victim's finger.

Authorities announced Monday that 57 people were charged in the conspiracies, according to the Associated Press. Forty-two were arrested last week, nine were already in custody on unrelated charges, and six others are being sought. An indictment shows the defendants were members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, Dirty White Boys and other gangs.

Prosecutors allege the group beginning in 2015 conspired to distribute methamphetamine in Texas. They say four defendants early this year kidnapped someone in an effort to obtain drug proceeds that they believed were owed to them. The victim was beaten and had a finger lopped off.

Other stories this evening:

  • The state’s largest grid operator expects to have record demand for electricity this summer -- and limited supplies of backup power. That’s why the Electric Reliability Council of Texas – ERCOT – says it might have to take action to prevent outages. More from Travis Bubenik with Houston Public Media.

  • Ruth Bader Ginsberg is more than a Supreme Court Justice. She's been made into a meme, fans wear her face on T-shirts and she's known by the nickname "Notorious RBG." Julie Cohen and Betsy West directed a new documentary that looks at how Justice Ginsberg turned into a pop cultural icon. And today on Think, Krys Boyd talked with Cohen about Ginsberg's fight against gender discrimination.

  • President Trump will be among the speakers Friday at the National Rifle Association convention in Dallas. And the city's preparing for protesters, including students who want gun reform. Tonight, we focus on the perspective from disability rights groups here in Texas. They've been asking their members how many people became disabled due to gun violence. Their goal is to give the disability community a louder voice in the guns debate. Ashley Lopez with KUT in Austin reports.

You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM.

Gus Contreras is a digital producer and reporter at KERA News. Gus produces the local All Things Considered segment and reports on a variety of topics from, sports to immigration. He was an intern and production assistant for All Things Considered in Washington D.C.