The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks transformed air travel, from the way passengers pack toiletries to what they wear on flights. For nearly a quarter century, most travelers moving through airport checkpoints had to remove their shoes, follow liquid limits and say goodbye to emotional gateside farewells or warm welcomes.

Now, 25 years later, the U.S. government is beginning to loosen some of those restrictions, including measures linked to other attacks attempted in the months following 9/11.

Last year, the Department of Homeland Security, created after the attacks, announced that passengers could keep their shoes on during standard airport security screening.

That policy followed the December 2001 attempt by Richard Reid, later known as the “shoe bomber,” to set off explosive material hidden in his shoe on a Paris-to-Miami flight.

Liquid rules remain officially in place. Those carry-on liquid regulations date back to 2006, when British authorities stopped a plot to smuggle liquid explosives onto flights.

New scanners at some airport checkpoints now let passengers keep liquids inside their bags while being screened, though access to the technology varies by airport and checkpoint. Restrictions on container sizes still apply.

Jeff Price, a professor in the Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Department of Aviation and Aerospace Science and an airport management consultant, said today’s technology is stronger than it was years ago, with some deployed systems improved since five years prior.

One major shift since that period is the wider range of airport screening choices. For $76.75 over five years, the Transportation Security Administration offers TSA PreCheck, which lets travelers complete prescreening and use faster screening lanes.

Price noted that paying for the program can mean less screening and a quicker line, but members also give the government far more personal information as part of the exchange.

There is also a private option, Clear, which offers a shorter identification check line in return for prescreened biometric data.

Gate greetings return

The latest changes go beyond security screening.

This week, TSA launched a free program that allows eligible trusted travelers, including TSA PreCheck members, to apply for entry into secure gate areas without a boarding pass.

Called “Gateside,” the program has been introduced at 13 U.S. airports, including Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Salt Lake City International Airport.

The space beyond TSA screening has been tightly restricted since 9/11. In announcing the program, TSA said PreCheck members using it could meet relatives at the gate, have lunch or dinner with a friend during a long layover, visit airport restaurants and shops or greet service members returning from deployment.

Participants need to apply online one to three days ahead of travel and receive approval before passing through security.

Privatization effort faces setbacks

Some security adjustments have been less smooth.

Late last month, TSA ended TSA Gold+, a program that would have provided privatized security at selected airports.

David Cummins, the new head of TSA who took the top position in early August, said a new screening partnership program will replace TSA Gold+ to make better use of the private sector in creating a safer, more secure and more efficient aviation system.

TSA did not respond to requests for additional comment.

Tampa International Airport in Florida began reviewing the program in May, in part because it could protect the airport from the effects of government shutdowns, airport Chief Operating Officer John Tiliacos told reporters last month. Those shutdowns left TSA officers without regular pay for months, and staffing gaps contributed to long airport lines across the country. The possibility of adding new technology was also attractive.

Tampa chose not to proceed with the program, and TSA announced its replacement shortly afterward. Tiliacos told reporters last month that the airport was not fully satisfied with the answers it received about the technology, a factor that led to its decision to opt out.

Changing security challenges

Even as some rules travelers have followed for decades appear to be winding down, the aviation industry continues to face shifting threats.

Keith Jeffries, vice president of aviation security company K2 Security Screening Group, a TSA retiree and former security director at Los Angeles International Airport, said the field now has to account for AI, cybersecurity problems and drones. He said the role of security, especially in protecting the transportation sector, is expanding while new technologies try to keep pace.

As screening technology advances, so does the determination of potential attackers to overcome obstacles and make their message felt.

Jeffries said deterrents still matter, but there is no perfect security solution.

A range of equity market bubble indicators show that while the S & P 500 ‘s rally has further to run this year, its medium-term prospects look poor given how frothy the market has become, according to Capital Economics. “Most indicators suggest the AI equity boom is nearing an end,” Capital Economics’ senior market economist James Reilly said Thursday in a note. Capital has been more bullish than most on the stock market since mid-2023, reflecting a view that AI will be a transformative technology. Its year end-2026 S & P 500 forecast has consistently been above consensus. But the firm has also maintained that the AI-driven rally is a bubble that will eventually burst. To assess and spot a late-stage market bubble, Reilly looks at eight indicators including valuations, earnings, index concentration, equity issuance and foreign interest in U.S. equities. Some of those measures are already at or near levels that preceded previous stock market peaks. The analysis shows that while market variables such as earnings expectations look consistent with a market top, others such as volatility and leverage look slightly less alarming. Earnings stand out as the biggest warning sign. Expectations for S & P 500 earnings growth are around levels seen only at the peak of the dot-com bubble, while long-term EPS growth forecasts have surged to a record high. According to Reilly, the heavy concentration of this expected growth in the tech sector means that any signs of weakness in the tech firms’ earnings will weigh heavily on the index. Other indicators are also flashing warning signs. Index concentration is around dot-com-era extremes, net equity issuance has turned positive and foreign ownership of U.S. stocks is at a record high. Reilly said another wave of IPOs and share sales could be particularly significant, since similar issuance booms have historically coincided with market peaks. “On past form, this suggests that the end of the bubble is just months away, rather than years,” he said. Measures of leverage are not yet alarming compared to other factors, though the analyst warns that they are heading in a “concerning direction.” While volatility metrics look consistent with a mid -stage bubble, Reilly notes that constituent -level volatility isn’t as extreme as it was near the end of the dotcom boom. “While we continue to think that the S & P 500 will rally from around 7,650 now to 8,250 by end-2026 , we ultimately forecast it to fall back to 6,500 by end -2027,” he wrote. Those assumptions would equate to 8% upside this year and a 21% slide in 2027.

This site is now part of Versant. By continuing to use this service, you agree to our Terms. You also acknowledge that our updated Privacy Policy applies, including to your existing data. For details on your data rights, click here.

On this service, we and our vendors use cookies and other tools (“Cookies”) to store and access information on your device, such as device identifiers, IP address, and your browser type. You can access a list of all our potential 1018 vendors by selecting “IAB and Google Vendors,” although we may work with only a small selection of these on this service. Your data may be used to save and communicate your privacy choices; ensure security, prevent fraud, and debug our products and services; personalize advertising and content; for advertising and content measurement; to conduct audience research and services development; so we can improve our services and develop new ones; to match and combine offline data with your online activity; and for social features. We may share this data with select vendors with your consent.

Click “I Accept”, to consent to our use of these Cookies or “Reject All” to reject our use of these Cookies. Click “Manage Choices” to set your preferences. If you previously made choices with respect to Versant’s use of Cookies on this browser and device, you will need to update them. You can adjust your choices any time through the “Cookie Preferences” link in the footer of relevant Versant sites or in-app settings. Visit our Cookie Notice and Privacy Policy to learn more.

We will also use other Cookies that are essential or related to our services, including for security and fraud prevention.

Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.

– Your Privacy

– Strictly Necessary

– Save and communicate privacy choices 515 partners can use this special purpose

– Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 649 partners can use this special purpose

– Deliver and present advertising and content 638 partners can use this special purpose

– Store and/or access information on a device 844 partners can use this purpose

– Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 985 partners can use this purpose

– Targeted Advertising

– Content Selection

On this service, we and our vendors use cookies and other tools (“Cookies”) to store and access information on your device, such as device identifiers, IP address, and your browser type. Your data may be used to save and communicate your privacy choices; ensure security, prevent fraud, and debug our products and services; personalize advertising and content; for advertising and content measurement; to conduct audience research and services development; so we can improve our services and develop new ones; to match and combine offline data with your online activity; and for social features. We may share this data with select vendors with your consent. You can adjust your choices any time through the “Cookie Preferences” link in the footer of relevant Versant sites or in-app settings.

We will also use other Cookies that are essential or related to our services, including for security and fraud prevention. To learn more about some of our vendors, see the IAB and Google Vendors under each purpose. Visit our Cookie Notice and Privacy Policy to learn more.

Always Active

These Cookies and SDKs are required for Service functionality, including security and fraud prevention, and to enable any purchasing capabilities. You can set your browser to block these tracking technologies, but some parts of the site may not function properly.

The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.

Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.

Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.

Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.

– Use limited data to select advertising 785 partners can use this purposeAdvertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).

– Create profiles for personalised advertising 631 partners can use this purposeInformation about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.

– Use profiles to select personalised advertising 635 partners can use this purposeAdvertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.

– Create profiles to personalise content 259 partners can use this purposeInformation about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.

– Use profiles to select personalised content 231 partners can use this purposeContent presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.

– Measure advertising performance 908 partners can use this purposeInformation regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.

– Measure content performance 403 partners can use this purposeInformation regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.

– Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 573 partners can use this purposeReports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).

– Develop and improve services 680 partners can use this purposeInformation about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.

– Use limited data to select content 179 partners can use this purposeContent presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).

These Cookies and SDKs are used to collect data about your browsing habits, use of the Services, your preferences, and your interaction with advertisements across platforms and devices for the purpose of delivering targeted advertising content, both on our Services and on third party sites. Third-party sites and services also use Targeting Cookies to deliver content, including advertisements relevant to your interests on the Services. If you reject these Cookies or SDKs, you will see less relevant advertising.

Data collected under this category through Cookies and SDKs can also be used to select and deliver personalized content, such as news articles and videos.

Consent Leg.Interest

label

The Iran-aligned Houthi militia has taken over Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Mokha, giving Tehran an additional leverage point in its half‑year confrontation with the United States.

Analysts view the Houthi seizure of Mokha as a serious setback for Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni forces it supports, and it could intensify Iranian pressure on two crucial oil chokepoints flanking the Arabian Peninsula: the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz.

The fighters captured Mokha on Thursday, according to the Associated Press, which cited Yemeni and Houthi sources. Verum was unable to independently verify the claim.

Mokha, a strategic Red Sea locality that lent its name to Mocha coffee, lies roughly 75 kilometers (46 miles) north of the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait, the waterway linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and onward to worldwide markets.

Since the onset of the U.S.–Israel campaign against Iran in late February, the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait’s strategic value has risen sharply, as it has become an alternate route for crude shipments headed to Asia.

Experts warn that the Houthi push toward the Bab el‑Mandeb could disrupt global trade, especially if the militia escalates threats or launches attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes.

Hamish Kinnear, lead Middle East and North Africa analyst at risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft, described the Mokha takeover as a “major blow” to Saudi Arabia because it raises the prospect of the Houthis tightening their hold on the Bab el‑Mandeb chokepoint.

He added, “The Houthis were already menacing Saudi shipping from earlier positions, but seizing Mokha opens the door to further advances along the Bab el‑Mandeb coastline and a firmer grip on the strategic passage.”

Kinnear noted that, as the conflict drags on, both Tehran and Washington see time working in their favor, making a fresh cease‑fire unlikely in the near term.

He also said, “Oil and gas prices, and diesel in particular, will keep climbing as long as that situation persists — even if U.S. convoys and alternative export routes via the Strait of Hormuz soften the price impact.”

What lies ahead for oil markets?

On Friday morning oil prices slipped, yet the two main benchmarks stayed on track to close the week above $100 a barrel for the first time since mid‑May.

International benchmark Brent crude

ING analysts said the oil market’s resilience is being tested by a growing awareness of the threat to regional supply, with traders reassessing both the length and severity of the conflict.

Even though traffic continues through the Strait of Hormuz, ING’s experts stressed that flows remain far below pre‑war levels, highlighting how fragile the situation has become.

“Saudi energy facilities and Red Sea crude exports are increasingly exposed, with the Houthis in Yemen targeting the kingdom,” warned ING’s Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey in a Friday research note.

They also observed, “Since the Houthis have seized the Red Sea port of Mokha in Yemen, recent developments heighten the risk to shipping around the Bab al‑Mandeb Strait.”