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Capitol Rioter Rejects Trump Pardon in Unprecedented Rejection of Jan. 6 Clemency

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Her refusal, a rare and powerful act of public accountability, represents perhaps the most pointed backlash yet from within the convicted Jan. 6 ranks.

Published

1 year ago

June 2, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

In a dramatic and historic repudiation of Donald Trump’s mass pardons for Capitol rioters, one of the former president’s supporters has taken the extraordinary step of formally refusing his grant of clemency. Pamela Hemphill, a 71-year-old Idaho woman and one of more than 1,500 people pardoned by Trump earlier this year for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, has asked the Department of Justice to reject the clemency extended to her on Jan. 20 — the day Trump returned to the White House. Her refusal, a rare and powerful act of public accountability, represents perhaps the most pointed backlash yet from within the convicted Jan. 6 ranks. “The pardons just contribute to their narrative, which is all lies, propaganda. We were guilty, period,” Hemphill told CBS News. “They are using January 6 to just continue Trump’s narrative that the Justice Department was weaponized. They were not.”

Hemphill, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unlawful parading in the Capitol and was sentenced in 2022 to three years of probation, played an active role in rallying others to join the riot. Prosecutors said she was at the front lines during confrontations with U.S. Capitol Police and had used her platform to encourage participation. “On December 28, 2020, Hemphill posted encouragement to go to Washington, D.C. for January 6, saying ‘it’s a WAR!’” prosecutors wrote. “On January 1, 2021, she posted a message ‘on my way to Washington DC January 6th.’” Hemphill, who acknowledged guilt and accepted the consequences of her actions, has now turned to her Republican senator, James Risch of Idaho, to ensure the federal government honors her rejection of the pardon. In a letter dated April 2, the Office of the Pardon Attorney confirmed to Sen. Risch that Hemphill’s “non-acceptance is noted,” and that no formal pardon certificate would be issued.

“The Office of U.S. Senator Jim Risch regularly assists constituents with matters pertaining to federal agencies or programs,” a spokesperson for Sen. Risch stated. “Due to privacy concerns, we cannot disclose details about individual cases.” Hemphill said she could not reconcile accepting clemency with her understanding of right and wrong. “How could you sleep at night taking a pardon when you know you were guilty? You know that everybody there was guilty. I couldn’t live with myself. I have to be right with me. And with God,” she said. She said she is bracing for the possibility of retaliation from Trump, whom she once fervently supported. “Trump will probably say that ungrateful lady, I’m going to make sure she gets back on probation and give her the worst you can give her. I won’t be surprised,” she said.

Stacy M. Brown

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#NNPA BlackPress

Lock In Car Price: Avoid Dealer Payment Traps!

Watch the long-form video https://youtu.be/YANxGwD2CjI Don’t get swayed by monthly payments! Always settle the out-of-the-door price first, including all fees. Only then discuss monthly payments, terms, and potential add-ons. #AutoNetwork #CarBuyingTips #CarSales #DealershipSecrets #Negotiation
The post Lock In Car Price: Avoid Dealer Payment Traps! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

5 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Oakland Post

Watch the long-form video

Don’t get swayed by monthly payments! Always settle the out-of-the-door price first, including all fees. Only then discuss monthly payments, terms, and potential add-ons. #AutoNetwork #CarBuyingTips #CarSales #DealershipSecrets #Negotiation

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Oakland Post

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Sell Your Car: Get Offers BEFORE Visiting Dealerships!

Watch the video https://youtu.be/zJF32l2Fz8I. Before you step onto a lot, get a written offer for your trade-in from CarMax, Carvana, or even a competing dealer. Make them beat it, or they lose your business. Get that number on paper, not just in your head. #AutoNetwork #TradeInTips #CarBuying #Negotiation #SmartShopping
The post Sell Your Car: Get Offers BEFORE Visiting Dealerships! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

7 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Oakland Post

Watch the video

https://youtu.be/zJF32l2Fz8I.

Before you step onto a lot, get a written offer for your trade-in from CarMax, Carvana, or even a competing dealer. Make them beat it, or they lose your business. Get that number on paper, not just in your head. #AutoNetwork #TradeInTips #CarBuying #Negotiation #SmartShopping

The post Sell Your Car: Get Offers BEFORE Visiting Dealerships! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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California Birth Rate Falls Below “Replacement Level”

OAKLAND POST — Researchers project that by 2038, deaths will outnumber births in California, ending a long period in which natural population growth helped drive the state’s expansion. Without increased immigration or a rebound in birth rates, population growth could stagnate or decline.
The post California Birth Rate Falls Below “Replacement Level” appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

7 days ago

June 17, 2026

Oakland Post

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

California’s birth rate has fallen to its lowest level on record, dropping well below the threshold needed to maintain population growth and signaling a major demographic shift that could reshape the state’s economy, schools, workforce and political influence in the decades ahead.

A new report from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) found that the state’s total fertility rate declined from 2.21 children per woman in 2007 to 1.48 in 2023 — far below the “replacement level” of 2.1 children per woman needed to sustain a population without migration.

“The significance of falling so far below replacement level cannot be overstated,” the report states. “It signals a fundamental shift in the state’s demographic trajectory.”

Researchers project that by 2038, deaths will outnumber births in California, ending a long period in which natural population growth helped drive the state’s expansion. Without increased immigration or a rebound in birth rates, population growth could stagnate or decline.
The report found that declining birth rates among younger women are largely responsible for the trend. Birth rates among women ages 20 to 24 fell by 54% between 2008 and 2023, while teen birth rates dropped nearly 90% since 1991. Researchers described the decline in teen births as a major public health success.

Birth rates declined across all racial and ethnic groups, with the steepest drops occurring among Latina women, particularly those born outside the United States.

The phenomenon is not unique to California. Birth rates have fallen in all 50 states, and every state now has fertility rates below replacement level.

“The decline in birth rates is one of the most important developments of recent decades and will structure policy debates for decades to come,” the report concludes.

Among the most immediate impacts could be shrinking school enrollment. PPIC projects California’s public school population will decline by roughly 630,000 students by 2038, while longer-term concerns include labor shortages, an aging population and the potential loss of congressional representation.

The post California Birth Rate Falls Below “Replacement Level” appeared first on BlackPressUSA.