Supreme Court upholds "ghost gun" regulations

Details: Federal law requires gun manufacturers to have a license and mark their weapons with a serial number.

• But law enforcement agencies have reported a major rise in crimes committed using "ghost guns" — weapons that are manufactured at home, from a kit purchased online. They typically are not registered and do not have serial numbers, making them effectively untraceable.
• The Biden administration said in 2022 that the same rules governing fully assembled weapons must also apply to ghost-gun kits.
• Manufacturers and owners sued, arguing that the kits do not meet the legal definition of a "weapon."

The Supreme Court, in a 7-2 opinion written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, rejected that argument and upheld the Biden administration's regulations.

• Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented.

Between the lines: Gun regulations usually lose at the Supreme Court, but it's important to note that this case did not raise any Second Amendment questions.

• It hinged instead on the interpretation of specific phrases, including "weapon," in federal law.