The 9/11 attacks hit 25 years ago. They’re still shaping our lives

A quarter-century later, 9/11 still echoes.

The worst terrorist attack in U.S. history has been followed by other seismic events, from a once-in-a-century global pandemic to the rise of artificial intelligence that is transforming commerce, education and more. Nearly 100 million Americans − almost one in four − have no personal memory of the Sept. 11 attacks, born since it happened.

The attacks continue to resonate not only in the lives of the families, friends and colleagues of the 2,977 victims who died but in the tens of thousands of survivors and first responders who are dealing with 9/11-related health issues.

In a spiderweb that has spread through the nation's laws, economy, warfare and culture, its repercussions are felt by just about every American. Some of the questions it raised remain unsettled.

Consider: Extension of the post-9/11 law that allows warrantless surveillance abroad is stalled in a fierce congressional divide. The mistrust of officialdom about the attack and the war in Iraq that ensued helped lay the groundwork for current-day conspiracy theories about school shootings and election fraud. A new generation of video games inspired by 9/11 is being tapped as a controversial recruiting tool by the military and law…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/