Supreme Court will consider whether laws known as assault weapons bans violate the Second Amendment

A Supreme Court that has expanded gun rights will consider whether bans on semiautomatic rifles, often called assault weapons, violate the Second Amendment. The justices said Tuesday they will take up an appeal asking the court to strike down bans on the AR-15 and similar semiautomatic firearms in the Chicago area and Connecticut. Similar bans are in place in about a dozen states, covering major cities like New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. A national assault weapons ban expired in 2004