U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear challenge to Illinois' assault weapons ban

The U.S. Supreme Court declined Tuesday to hear a set of challenges to Illinois’ assault-weapons ban, though Justice Clarence Thomas insisted the court should take up the issue later, once lower courts are finished considering the controversial law. The high court’s decision comes days ahead of the two-year anniversary of the Fourth of July shooting in Highland Park, which inspired the measure. Groups challenging the ban made their bid to the U.S. Supreme Court after last fall’s ruling from the federal appeals court in Chicago, which found that weapons covered...