Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon is fighting for her political career and freedom as she faces two separate felony trials, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Dixon will go to trail in Nov. for allegedly stealing gift cards donated by local businesses and charities for the poor.  Her lawyers are trying to convince a judge to throw out perjury charges stemming from her not disclosing gifts she received from her boyfriend, a developer who was awarded city contracts.

The Baltimore NAACP questions who has the power to appoint an interim mayor if Dixon is removed?

Baltimore Mayor Sheila A. Dixon says she wasn’t flipping a bird at photographers, despite a photograph of her in Tuesday’s edition of The Daily Record with her middle finger up as she seemingly glares into a camera. “I have a habit of using my fingers to put my glasses up,” Dixon said at a news conference that was broadcast on WJZ-TV. “I really think that, that was a low blow, and I really did not appreciate it, but, you know, such is life in this business. Now I’m going to be very careful how I put my glasses on and how I adjust them. But, you know, I really think that was a low blow.” The photo was taken by Daily Record staff photographer Rich Dennison at a City Council luncheon Monday. Adding to the notion that Dixon was giving photojournalists the finger was the timing. A camera crew, which had been ejected from the chamber, was allowed back in just moments after Dixon consulted with her staff. Plus, the mayor can’t be too fond of reporters these days. She’s been a favorite target of the media after being indicted Friday on 12 criminal counts, including theft, perjury and misconduct in office. The indictment alleges that Dixon accepted thousands of dollars in gifts from real estate developer Ronald H. Lipscomb, whom she dated in 2003 and 2004. She’s also accused of accepting gift cards from Lipscomb that were intended for needy children.

Five students are charged with attacking a teacher. Five students were arrested and charged Tuesday with attacking two teachers at Forest Park High School in Baltimore, school officials told The Baltimore Sun. The attack was apparent retaliation against one of the teachers, who alleged he was the victim of an unarmed robbery by two other students at the school the day before. City police came to the school on Tuesday to arrest those two students. Then, later that morning, the brother of one of the robbery suspects attacked the teacher, and other students joined in, school sources said. Another teacher tried to come to his colleague’s rescue, and took the brunt of the beating. City police were called to assist school police. City school system spokeswoman Edie House told the Sun that no one was hospitalized or seriously injured. The five students were charged with assault and disorderly conduct.

Huckabee: Stop demonizing Obama!

As the presidential race picks up steam, there’s an increasing amount of sludge being heaped on Sen. Barack Obama, and it’s made from all kinds of stuff. There’s the thick, sticky kind consisting of rumors about Obama’s alleged lack of patriotism; some of it is made of banter about the senator’s so-called secret ties to al-Qaeda and other Muslim extremist groups; and who could forget about the muck composed of Obama and his wife Michelle’s purported disdain for “Whitey.” And aside from all of the unsubstantiated reports that “disqualify” Obama from sitting in the White House, there are all the slurs depicting him as everything from a snob to a monkey. In fact, the rumors and innuendos have gotten so out of hand that the Obama campaign has launched a Web site specifically aimed at dealing with false rumors head-on. But former Republican presidential candidate and ex-governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee has a stern warning for any of his party-mates who think slinging slime at Obama is the way to whip him in November: “Stop demonizing him!” Speaking to reporters in Tokyo , Huckabee said that what Obama has accomplished by winning the Democratic nomination is a “landmark achievement” and should be respected by all Americans. “Republicans will make a fundamental if not fatal mistake if they seek to win the election by demonizing Barack Obama,” Huckabee said, according to Agence France-Presse. Such a tactic distracts from the reality that America has gotten “to a point where we did not see his color but we truly saw his charisma, his message and what he brought to the campaign trail,” he said. “When people are really hurting — and they are right now — they’re not looking at a person’s race.” Huckabee said, however, his comments should not be construed to mean that he is an Obama supporter. He said he wants Sen. John McCain to be the next president, and he has hinted that he wouldn’t mind sharing the ticket with the Arizona senator.

Baltimore leaders are outraged by raid on Mayor Dixon’s home ”

Leave the mayor alone!” That’s what Baltimore leaders are screaming after a raid of Mayor Sheila Dixon’s home Tuesday morning. At around 6:30 a.m. Maryland State prosecutors and police made their presence known on the mayor’s Southwest Baltimore property, serving a search warrant; within hours, they were carrying out boxes and folders. When Dixon was asked about the raid, she told reporters to ask those conducting the raid. Prosecutors refused to say what they were looking for or what they removed from Dixon ’s home. Investigators have been probing spending irregularities at City Hall since a March 2006 series of articles in The Baltimore Sun questioned the role of Dixon , then council president, in approving contracts that benefited her sister’s employer. Councilman Robert Curran told The Baltimore Examiner, “This investigation has gone on for two years with no outcome, and it will end with no outcome.” Councilman Bernard “Jack” Young, who also has the mayor’s back, said Dixon is a “straight-up person” who operates “aboveboard.” Dixon previously called the investigation “a witch hunt.” She said, “All I can say is that this has been a long investigation, and I have cooperated with the prosecutors. I am really staying focused on running the city and doing the best we can to move forward.” Dixon is the first Black female mayor of Baltimore.

Ex-NASCAR employee sues for $225 million
A Black woman suing NASCAR for $225 million says she was treated with racist harassment, including being called “nappy-headed,” while working for the organization. Mauricia Grant was employed as an inspector for NASCAR from 2005 to 2007. She says she was subjected to working in the heat for longer periods of time than White employees because they feared sunburn. Grant also says White co-workers called her “nappy-headed Mo,” a variation of the insult that broadcaster Don Imus infamously called the Rutgers women’s basketball team. She alleges that employees also questioned her sexual preference. She was fired in October, despite having been previously praised by her supervisors, Grant says. NASCAR chairman Brian France has denied that Grant made any complaints about mistreatment on the job.

Tiger returns from knee surgery
The top golfer in the world and Tiger Woods is back just in time to play one of his favorite courses at Torrey Pines. Does he have a shot to win the U.S. Open? More at Playa Hater.

Eleven-time Pro Bowler says he’ll leave Ravens
Twelve-year Baltimore Ravens veteran Jonathan Ogden says he’s hanging up his cleats. A nagging toe injury during his last two NFL seasons is among the reasons the 11-time Pro Bowler says he’ll retire. “It took a little while to decide,” he tells the Baltimore Sun. “You just can’t make a decision like this overnight. I tried to work out, I tried to practice on the toe. But it never came back to 100 percent.” Regarded by some as the best offensive tackle in recent memory, Ogden helped the the Ravens to victory at Super Bowl XXXV. His career highlights include catching two touchdown passes.

Bills player is believed to have driven a vehicle that struck a pedestrian.

Marshawn Lynch may be charged with a felony. Having awaited an interview from Marshawn Lynch to discuss what happened two weekends ago when a vehicle registered to him struck a pedestrian, prosecutors are moving forward. Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark says the presumption is that Lynch was the driver in the hit-and-run accident, involving his 2008 Porsche SUV. The running back hasn’t made himself available to be interviewed about the incident, but investigators say damage to the vehicle further connected it to the crime scene. The 27-year-old woman struck by Lynch’s vehicle was bruised and treated at a hospital. Police later located the Porsche in Lynch’s driveway. “So the logical presumption is that he was driving the car,” Clark says.