Fla. Gun Requests Spike in Recession

Florida's Marissa Alexander was fending off husband

(NEWSER) - A Florida woman was sentenced to 20 years in prison today for firing what she says was a warning shot to scare away her attacking husband. In the intensely controversial case, Marissa Alexander claims she was fleeing from her abusive husband when she fired a gun into the wall of her home. After she rejected a plea deal and was convicted of aggravated assault, the judge was required by Florida's mandatory sentencing guidelines to hand down a 20-year punishment, reports CNN . More»

But most remain upbeat about their future: Pew survey

(NEWSER) - The economy is doing a number on those aged 18 to 34, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center :

• Half say they have taken a job they didn't want.
• More than a third have gone back to school because of the job market.
• Nearly a quarter have taken unpaid work to gain experience.
• About a quarter have moved back in with the folks.
• More than 1 in 5 have postponed having a baby, and about the same number have put off getting married.

Scottsdale Gun Club offers unusual St. Nick pics

(NEWSER) - Colt peacemaker on Earth, good ammo to men. That's apparently the holiday wish for all at Arizona's Scottsdale Gun Club, which is giving members and their kids a chance to pose with a "nervous-looking Santa" and the weapon of their choice, reports the Telegraph . "Get your holiday picture with Santa and his machine guns!" gushes the club's website ... because nothing says Christmas quite like an AK-47. The photo backdrop includes a Garwood Minigun, which can fire 6,000 rounds a minute. Fill up that toy bag, Santa . N ow. More»

Poll finds record low support for gun control

(NEWSER) - In a record high, 43% of American women say there is a gun in their household. That number was 36% last year, the Los Angeles Times reports. Even more men—52%—reported a gun in their home or on their property; in 2010, 45% did so. But, the Times notes, the gender gap rears its head when it comes to who is the owner: Of the Gallup poll respondents, 46% of men say they own a gun, compared to 23% of women. More»

More people may be drinking at home: CDC

(NEWSER) - The good news: According to self-reported data, Americans are driving drunk less often. The bad news: It may not be because we're more responsible, but because ... we're broke. The CDC data shows that self-reported drunk driving among adults was down 30% from 161 million instances in 2006 to about 112 million in 2010. Though the reasons are "not well understood," the CDC says the poor economy could be a factor, as more people drink at home. More»