If you speed in a Maryland highway work zone, be prepared to pay a hefty fine.
A new tiered system of fines will go into place Jan. 1, and drivers could pay as much as $1,000.

Maryland lawmakers passed the Road Worker Protection Act after a driver crashed into a construction zone in Baltimore County in 2023, killing six workers.

“The speeding has got to stop,” said John Seng, who chairs Safe Roads Maryland

That’s what lawmakers are hoping will happen. The new tiered system of fines will be based on how much the driver exceeds the speed limit.

For example, if you’re going between 12 and 15 miles per hour over the speed limit, the fine will be $60. Fines get progressively higher from there — for super speeders going 40 or more over the limit, the fine is $500, if workers are present, it’ll cost you a grand.

“When it’s a work construction zone with a concentration of people simply trying to do their jobs, it sends the message to people that, again, enough is enough,” Seng said. “Well, you pay and you’re going to pay until you slow down.”

The law also requires signs and blue flashing lights when workers are present so drivers will have plenty of warning the work zone is ahead.

“We want everyone to travel safely through our work zones,” said Teri Soos of the State Highway Administration. “Travel at a safe speed, move over when possible and really pay attention to those barrels and those lights and those signs.”

The new law also allows for more cameras in larger work zones and better camera technology to detect speeders.

Advocates say the point is to slow drivers down, but if they won’t, they’re hoping the fines will encourage them to let off the gas.

Last year, nearly 336,000 citations were issued for work zone speed camera violations in Maryland.

Progressive outlet The Atlantic has snagged some of The Washington Post’s top political journalists ahead of the new year.

According to a new report from The New York Times, the outlet is looking to boost its political coverage for the second Trump presidency. 

The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, told The Times, “We want to cover the incoming administration rigorously. I want to build our team with the best political reporters and editors I can find.”

WAPO STAFFER UNSURE PAPER CAN RECOVER AS BEZOS-OWNED OUTLET SHEDS 250,000 SUBSCRIBERS OVER ENDORSEMENT FIASCO

The outlet’s political expansion made waves after it recently snagged two prominent Washington Post reporters for its own roster – The Post’s senior national political correspondent Ashley Parker and national political reporter Michael Scherer.

The Times mentioned that the two prominent journalists will “join a formidable political team at The Atlantic that includes Elaina Plott Calabro, McKay Coppins and Mark Leibovich.”

The outlet wants to hire “roughly a dozen new reporters and editors to beef up its politics coverage,” The Times wrote, citing an Atlantic spokesperson.

The Atlantic is in talks to hire even more Washington Post reporters soon, the outlet said, citing sources familiar with the discussions. It also hired Washington Post national security reporter Shane Harris earlier this year.

The hiring spree comes after a year of success and growth for the liberal publication. The Atlantic announced that it had surpassed one million subscribers earlier this year and has since added over 100,000 more.

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The Atlantic is looking to hire political journalists from rival outlets to cover the second Trump administration.  ((AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File))

Billionaire Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs, has a controlling interest in The Atlantic through her ownership of Emerson Collective. She is also a Democratic megadonor and close friends with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Meanwhile, The Post has endured a year of turmoil.

Executive editor Sally Buzbee left the outlet in June in a surprise move that was followed by a newsroom restructuring that insiders have described as “head-spinning” and “poorly handled.”

This all happened as financial woes continued to plague The Washington Post, which has struggled to remain profitable in recent years. The paper lost over $70 million and half of its audience in 2023. 

The paper is on track to lose $77 million in 2024. 

Just before the election, The Post lost 250,000 paid subscribers, multiple editorial board members and editor-at-large Robert Kagan after owner Jeff Bezos prevented the paper from endorsing a 2024 presidential candidate. The paper was set to endorse Harris before Bezos intervened.

The Washington Post did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

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The college football bowl season continues on New Year’s Eve with the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl featuring the Louisville Cardinals facing off against the Washington Huskies.

The Cardinals, who finished the regular season with an 8-4 record and placed fourth in the ACC standings, are on a mission to redeem themselves after a disappointing performance in last year’s Holiday Bowl against USC. Their quarterback, Tyler Shough, leads the offense and was one of three recipients of college football’s Comeback Player of the Year Award, having bounced back from injury to throw for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns this season.

Under the guidance of first-year coach Jedd Fisch, the Huskies have embarked on a new journey, finding themselves in a different postseason bowl after reaching the national championship game last season. Washington will now look to freshman quarterback Demond Williams Jr. to lead the offense. In the few games he played, he achieved an impressive 76.6% completion rate, throwing for 570 yards and four touchdowns. Williams Jr. is supported by a solid running back, Jonah Coleman, who recorded 1,011 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns this season.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of kickoff for the Sun Bowl.

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Sun Bowl predictions: Louisville vs. Washington

USA TODAY Sports: Majority pick Louisville

• Scooby Axson: Louisville
• Jordan Mendoza: Louisville
• Paul Myerberg: Washington
• Erick Smith: Louisville
• Eddie Timanus: Louisville
• Dan Wolken: Washington

ESPN: Louisville 33, Washington 24

Adam Rittenberg writes: “Louisville certainly wants to avoid a repeat of the 2023 Holiday Bowl, when it allowed 42 points, 372 passing yards and six touchdowns to USC and Miller Moss. The Cardinals certainly could have contended for the ACC title and a potential CFP spot this season, and boast a nice young core with running backs Isaac Brown and Duke Watson. Washington has an eye toward the future after a predictably rocky first season under coach Jedd Fisch. The good news is running back Jonah Coleman will return, and promising quarterback Demond Williams Jr. will get another chance for valuable experience. Other than the Stanford debacle, Louisville played very well down the stretch and should have enough offense to handle Washington.”

College Football Network: Washington 27, Louisville 20

Staff writes: “Washington isn’t facing the same issue, but it will turn the keys of the offense over to true freshman Demon Williams Jr., who has shown flashes in spurts throughout the season. While typically, you wouldn’t want to put money on a true freshman, Williams has the dual-threat ability to mitigate processing issues under center. Would you rather bet on Louisville’s backup redshirt freshman Pierce Clarkson, who has appeared in just two games this year, completing 3 of 4 passes for 11 yards? I expect Williams and Co. to put up enough points to leave the Sun Bowl with a dub over the short-handed Cardinals.”

Tickets to the Sun Bowl with StubHub

Sun Bowl odds, lines: Louisville vs. Washington

The Louisville Cardinals are favorites to defeat the Washington Huskies, according to the BetMGM college football odds.

Odds as of Friday, Dec. 20 afternoon.

• Spread: Louisville (-2.5)
• Moneylines: Louisville (-140); Washington (+120)
• Over/under: 49.5

How to watch Louisville vs. Washington in the Sun Bowl

• Date: Tuesday, Dec. 31
• Time: 2 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS
• Stream: Fubo
• Where: Sun Bowl (El Paso, Texas)

Stream Live: Catch College Bowl games with a Fubo subscription

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