WASHINGTON  Nearly half of the guns that crossed state lines and were used in crimes in 2009 were sold in just 10 states, according to a report being released today by a mayors' group.

A spike in the number of Virginians seeking permits for concealed handguns after the 2008 presidential election has eased.

State police records show that the number of permits issued in 2009 to carry a concealed weapon was almost 21 percent higher than the number of permits issued in 2008.

RICHMOND A new law will require Virginia's education department to come up with a gun-safety program for public elementary schools that incorporates guidelines from the National Rifle Association.

ANNAPOLIS, Md.  Handgun permits issued by Pennsylvania, Virginia and Delaware would be valid in Maryland under legislation proposed by a Cecil County Republican lawmaker.

OPEN CARRY Virginia does not require a permit to "open carry." Anyone 18 or older who can legally own a gun can carry it loaded in public as long as the gun is holstered and visible. Guns are OK in a vehicle as well, as long as they are placed in plain view on the dashboard or seat.   CONCEALED CARRY

He is called unflattering names by the other side: Gun nut. Zealot. Paranoid. In person, Phil ip Van Cleave doesn't seem to fit the part. At 55, he's a slim, silver-haired, soft-spoken computer programmer who runs his own software company out of his home in Midlothian.

A year ago, it would have been unthinkable.
A chapter of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus has taken up residence at Virginia Tech. Membership after just one month: 110.
Before Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people, the idea of condoning guns on campus "never had a chance," said Ken Stanton, a doctoral student and leader of the new chapter.

Machine guns may be owned by a private citizen so long as the buyer passes a background check, files required paperwork, pays a $200 tax and obtains a signature from the local police chief. According to the ATF, most are owned by collectors. Machine guns in private hands locally: Chesapeake - 60 Norfolk - 108 Portsmouth - 59 Suffolk - 16 Virginia Beach - 459  

  Special report: State of the Gun

Last month, when Suffolk gang leader Willie "Bang 'Em Up" Waters was convicted of fatally shooting a 14-year-old girl, he was already on the hook for 21 years of federal time - courtesy of Project Exile.