Causes of Erectile Dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction (ED) occurs when a man is unable to get or sustain an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. Intermittent ED is common. Many men experience occasional ED. It is generally caused by stress, exhaustion, or similar causes.
State Firearm Background Checks: NICS Data. Federal firearm background checks are conducted using the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to ensure transactions do not violate federal or state laws. Total federal firearm background checks climbed to a record high 23.1 million in 2015, up 10 percent from 2014. While background check statistics are commonly used to approximate firearm purchases, they do not represent actual numbers of guns sold.
In the United States, anybody who wishes to purchase a gun at a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL) is subject to a background check. Since 1998, the first year the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS, was online, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has processed more than 257 million background checks. But not every gun background check is the same, and their mechanics can be confusing at first glance.