In reply to your post 19, about everything being normal.
Would it not make sense to just forgo these warnings and allow the states to take the lead.
I just know many pay attention to their surroundings but if they knew there a car bomb(s) somewhere in NY or DC what would those residents do? Very complicated question, I suppose.
Most folks wouldn't know a proper bomb if it bit them on the butt. I've seen people go totally wonky before 9/11 on what they thought was a bomb and turned out to be someone's forgotten lunchbag. I've even seen containers of truck registration papers mistaken for bombs (and summarily "detonated" by police bomb disposal units).
Do I think folks should be notified of changes in our threat situation? Of course. But I think this idiocy of telling them to "go on as if everything's fine" is sheer lunacy and only engenders a sense of learned helplessness that isn't doing anyone any favors.
I personally would like to see a return of the Civil Defense as we had in World War II. At least that gave people a sense that they had a role in their own destiny...and that's a far cry from the nonsense that's going on now.