Being my first flight since the new rules, I arrived at PVD two hours early for my 5 pm UA departure this Monday. Security line was nonexistent, and as mentioned, MPs had their noses in your face. Never saw a sign or heard any announcement, but screener made me pull my laptop and go back through the line. Flight was full (going to ORD) and random pax were being screened at the gate. Two observations about that:

1) observed a gentleman joking with the gate attendents (some sort of ticketing issue)who had a European accent (German? Austrian?). This man had a brush cut, wore a military-style field jacket, and carried no hand luggage. Sure enough, he was "randomly chosen" to be patted down and wanded extensively, and his papers scrutinized - all by the same folks he was joshing with earlier. Definitely seemed like profiling to me.

2)I was among the last elites to board early - didn't see one person from the pre-boards being "randomly" chosen. Not sure if this is consistent with other's experiences.