Latest news with #R.RexParris
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
California Mayor Rex Parris Donates $10 Million to Launch Groundbreaking Longevity Accelerator at University of Southern California
New Initiative Aims to Propel Breakthroughs in Age-Related Disease Prevention and Treatment LOS ANGELES, May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As global interest in longevity science continues to surge, R. Rex Parris, JD; Mayor of Lancaster, Calif.; and co-founder of regenerative medicine company ReParris, has donated $10 million to the University of Southern California ("USC") to launch the USC Parris Longevity Accelerator (the "Accelerator"), a new initiative designed to deepen scientific understanding of aging and accelerate the development of treatments to delay or prevent age-related diseases. The Accelerator will bring together world-class researchers from multiple disciplines such as engineering, regulatory science, artificial intelligence, gerontology and clinical medicine to uncover the biological drivers of aging and develop proactive strategies to preserve long-term health. For its first major research effort, USC scientists will leverage data from recent studies to accelerate the identification of aging subtypes and high-risk patient profiles. Such insights could inform personalized, preventative care strategies in humans and shift the current healthcare model from reactive treatment to early intervention. "Age-related diseases continue to cost our healthcare system trillions of dollars. Now is the time to act to not only help people live longer but also to improve their quality of life," said Mayor Parris. "The USC Parris Longevity Accelerator will provide the critical resources needed to unite experts from various disciplines, foster innovation and pave the way for new therapies targeting the root causes of aging and its prominent role in disease progression." A lifelong advocate for health, education and innovation in Southern California, Mayor Parris has a strong track record of philanthropy. In 2014, he and his wife Carrol established the Parris Institute for Professional Formation at Pepperdine University to help law students cultivate purpose, professionalism and personal wellbeing. R. Rex Parris High School in Palmdale, Calif., also bears Mayor Parris's name in recognition of his ongoing commitment to youth education. "For far too long, we've thought about and approached age-related diseases at the point of crisis with expensive, late-stage interventions," added Denis Evseenko, MD, PhD; founding director of the USC Parris Longevity Accelerator; professor of orthopaedic surgery, stem cell research and regenerative medicine, at USC; senior fellow of the National Academy of Inventors; and co-founder of ReParris. "Our team already has a well-documented track record of successful translation of scientific breakthroughs into the early stage preventive therapeutics and clinical trials. The Accelerator is shifting that mindset by investing in the science needed to detect the earliest biological signs of aging, understand why some people decline faster than others and develop targeted strategies to intervene before disease takes hold." The Accelerator will also collaborate with industry partners to help transform innovative research into practical, scalable solutions for age-related diseases. By fast-tracking the translation of scientific breakthroughs into real-world therapies, the initiative aims to create a seamless pipeline from academic discovery to public health benefit. About ReParrisReParris is a regenerative medicine company developing novel small-molecule therapies to treat and prevent age-related diseases. Founded by Mayor R. Rex Parris, JD, and Dr. Denis Evseenko, MD, PhD, ReParris is dedicated to advancing treatments that target the biological mechanisms of aging. The Company's work prioritizes inflammation-driven conditions, including pulmonary fibrosis and sepsis, as well as longevity studies in canines, with the goal of extending and improving patients' lives. Positioned at the forefront of the longevity biotech revolution, ReParris is committed to providing accessible, lifesaving therapies to all patients in need. Media Contacts Raquel Cona / Michaela FawcettKCSA Strategic Communicationsrcona@ / mfawcett@ Laura LeBlancKeck School of Medicine of View original content: SOURCE ReParris Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE California mayor who wants to wipe out the homeless with 'free fentanyl' reveals plans to use armed drones
The mayor of a California city who sparked fury over a wild assertion that homeless criminals and addicts should have 'all the fentanyl they want' - to eradicate them from streets - revealed he's been bombarded with death threats. And in an exclusive interview, R. Rex Parris doubled down on his war on crime by saying he wishes to have remote drones armed with weapons circling over the city of Lancaster to combat lawlessness. He told Daily Mail his shocking comments about fentanyl, a cheap and deadly opioid corroding communities and killing users, weren't meant to be taken seriously - but that urgent 'triage' is indeed necessary to quash problems related to drugs and homelessness. 'It was a metaphor. You'd have to be an idiot to think I was serious. I obviously was not serious about giving people fentanyl,' Parris said. 'I tend to say provocative things. Why not? I'm a trial lawyer. But it accomplished what I wanted. People are talking.' Lancaster, 60 miles north of Los Angeles, was incorporated in 1977 and consists of 96 square miles. It's motto: 'Creating a better tomorrow. Together.' Parris, 73, a staunch Republican, is clearly 'frustrated' by homeless criminals in his city and the unceasing homeless crisis in the Golden State - despite huge amounts being spent on the problem. 'Billions and billions have been spent in California - just in LA county - and it hasn't gotten better,' he noted. 'It's absurd.' Lancaster is 'amazing' but, declared Parris, is spoiled by approximately 2,000 homeless and drug addicts who roam some areas. There was also disbelief when he discussed on television the possibility of a 'purge' of criminals - reportedly mimicking the apocalyptic storyline of the bloody 2013 movie, 'The Purge', where citizens are granted one night a year where all crime, including murder, is legal. 'Do I actually think we should have a purge like in the movie? No. But purge means to flush them out. Yes, I want to purge them from our community. But no, I don't want to kill them,' Parris told Daily Mail bluntly of the criminal homeless druggies. He labeled them 'a dangerous blight on all of our lives but especially hard-working families that don't live behind gated communities, don't have private security patrols - they are out there on their own and it's their doors these people are kicking in. 'Our focus should be on these families. That should be our biggest priority. Whatever it takes for them to feel safe, whatever it takes for them to be able to thrive, that is our primary obligation. It is not taking care of some drug addict. 'I find the predators are the first in line to get the benefits. The ones who don't want to work, who don't want a job, who don't want to have any help, but they want all the freebies they can get. They've made an art form out of it. 'There are some that all they want to do is prey upon us. And those people do have to be removed from our city one way or the other. 'At some point, we have to start recognizing who the priority is. And it's our families. It's not these homeless people that were kicked out of the prisons. 'There's a division in the city - those who want to give everything to everybody and those who want to live in a sane society. 'We would have a much different life in all of our cities if we weren't trying to save everybody. 'The ship is sinking because of that. There is nothing wrong with putting criminals in jail. That's how it's supposed to work.' It is the responsibility of elected officials to be proactive with the problem, remarked the mayor, rather than maintain the status quo. 'It's just cowardice not to stand up and do your job,' said Parris, who was born and raised in Lancaster by a single mom - a waitress - and 'flunked' high school before eventually embarking on a successful law career. 'Yes, it's going to result in some pain to some people who don't come from the city. Am I sorry for that? I am. 'But my job is to protect the hardworking families, and that's what I'm going to do. And I really don't care what people say about it. 'If they want me gone, they can remove me. But I've been there 16 years, and I've won six elections. So what does that tell you? 'I can see where I offend people, but I also see that leadership sometimes requires that.' Parris was at a February 25 council meeting when he suggested dishing out fentanyl - a potent and deadly synthetic opioid. 'What I want to do is give them free fentanyl. I mean, that's what I want to do,' Parris told the meeting. 'I want to give them all the fentanyl they want.' One woman, speaking out against plans to create an official homeless camp on an abandoned golf course next to her home, said Parris's comments 'were not kind.' The plan was abandoned. Death threats have been called into both the mayor's office and his law office, he told Daily Mail. Critics flooded his social media channels with angry comments, particularly after he shared a biblical message at Easter. 'You're a disgusting piece of s**t. Take Christ's name out of your filthy hateful mouth. You're no Christian. Jesus welcomed the homeless. You want to murder them,' one said. 'Rex Parris said the quiet part out loud. That's their 'solution' to homelessness,' another critic fumed on X. Large parts of the state have been gripped by the exploding fentanyl crisis and soaring home and rental costs have forced more people onto the streets, creating further plight. According to the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, there were 6,600 homeless people in Lancaster and its surrounding areas in 2024. Parris, who welcomed President Donald Trump to the city in 2020, is defiantly unapologetic about his controversial hard-line stance. He highlighted that he had been sent a photo earlier this year of a man masturbating next to a child daycare center. 'What do you think he's thinking about when he does that? Older women? I don't think so,' said Parris. 'Somebody who's going to pull out his penis and j**k off while leaning up against the wall of a daycare center is obviously mentally ill. That's intolerable. That person should be immediately arrested and put in jail. 'The danger that these people present is underappreciated. You can't go to the store without being afraid. When somebody breaks into your house, if you don't think your life is in danger, you're naive. 'They're drug addicts that are masquerading around as homeless because they can't get a home when they actually can. 'Those are the ones that come in and kick your door out in the middle of the night.' He said he wishes he 'didn't have to spend so much money on this very small segment of the population that is not even from Lancaster. 'The criminal element of the homeless population, for the most part, are all from LA. 'They encourage them to get on the train and we're the last stop. And so, so they get off and we're getting 10 to 20 people a day like that on some days. 'We should be directing these resources into the hardworking families of that city that comprise 95% of the population. At some point you have to triage things. 'My wife can't go to the grocery store alone because inevitably some thug will be in her face begging for money. It's intimidating. It's robbery when you intimidate somebody into giving money to you. 'I want people to not only be safe, but feel safe. And that means relocating these people. 'What is wrong with the idea of saying people have to follow the law?' The city is in the process of fencing off all of its parks to prevent the homeless from congregating and to keep children safe which, said Parris, is a 'huge expense.' 'They keep pouring money into this very small segment of the population that belong in prison,' stated Parris of the criminal drug addicts on the streets. 'There's this attitude that we can save everybody and we should save everybody. And the truth is, we can't.' Regarding the local homeless issue, 'My position is really clear. If you want help, we'll give it to you. We have a bed for you.' He touted the city's state-of-the-art, 14-acre Kensington Campus, which per it's website is a 'therapeutic community designed to house, employ, and rehabilitate the local homeless population.' 'We have help available in the form of medical attention, psychiatric care, drug addiction care. It's a good place to live,' boasted Parris. 'You just have to follow a few rules. Don't molest your neighbors. Don't hurt your neighbors. Simple stuff. 'But if you don't want help, go someplace else. Or you can choose to die on that hill. But you are going to go someplace else. We have laws about public camping. We're starting to enforce them.' Lancaster created its own small police department in 2023 - to bolster an under-staffed sheriff's office - and is slowly adding officers to patrol the streets. Parris said the sheriff's department 'follows the policies that come from the LA Board of Supervisors, which are far more liberal than I am. 'It's not like we don't know how to do this. We do know how. It's just the resources are going where they shouldn't be.' The police department will have 'advanced technology' including rapid response drones that will be linked to 911 dispatch call centers. There will be a 'shot spotter system' to detect 'within seconds' where a gun was fired as well as the caliber of the bullet. 'We can have a drone over it within one or two minutes,' said Parris. 'I'm going to be asking to arm those drones - but I don't think I'll get approval.'
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California mayor wants to give homeless people 'all the fentanyl they want': 'Need to purge these people'
A Southern California mayor said he wants to eliminate his city's homeless population by "giving them all the fentanyl they want," a controversial comment he doubled down on by saying he supports a federal "purge" of homeless people. Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris, a Republican, made the comments during a city council meeting on Feb. 25 when a resident questioned him about the city's plan to address the homeless crisis by "enclosing" the homeless population in a single encampment in an abandoned golf course near a residential neighborhood. "What I want to do is give them free fentanyl. That's what I want to do," Parris responded. "I want to give them all the fentanyl they want," he reiterated. Neckties In Dress Codes May Be Next To Face A Ban In California, If Mayor's Proposal Gains Traction The resident replied that the mayor's approach "was not kind." Read On The Fox News App The mayor is now facing a recall effort following his comments at the city council meeting, although it has only collected 6% of its goal of 20,000 signatures. He has faced past scrutiny over his controversial moves, including his decision to extend mayoral terms from two years to four. "For too long, Mayor R. Rex Parris has prioritized personal gain over the well-being of residents. His administration has been marked by mismanagement, controversial policies, and a disregard for transparency," a recall petition reads. "Lancaster deserves leadership that listens, serves, and uplifts the community – not one that divides and exploits it," it adds. But Parris has reaffirmed his position about wanting to give homeless people the illicit drug that kills thousands of Californians per year. He told Fox 11 on Friday that he has no regrets about his remarks and that he was referring to homeless criminals who "refuse" to seek help. "I made it very clear I was talking about the criminal element that were let out of the prisons that have now become 40 to 45% of what's referred to as the homeless population," Parris said. "They are responsible for most of our robberies, most of our rapes, and at least half of our murders," he continued. "There's nothing that we can do for these people." The mayor did not provide data to back up his claims about the number of crimes homeless people are responsible for. Parris said he did not expect his comments to be taken "literally," telling the outlet that fentanyl is "so easy" to obtain on the streets that it would not make a difference if the city offered the opioid to homeless people for free. The mayor sought to credit Lancaster for providing more "innovative" solutions to the homeless crisis than other U.S. cities and floated the idea of a federal "purge" to cut down on the homeless population. Homeless Man Wins $1 Million On Lottery Scratcher From California Liquor Store: Report "Quite frankly, I wish that the president would give us a purge. Because we do need to purge these people," Parris said. "Now, is it harsh? Of course, it is harsh," he continued. "But it's my obligation as the mayor of the city of Lancaster to protect the hardworking families that live there, and I am no longer able to do it… It's an untenable situation, and I'm open to any solution… I want these people out of our city." Parris, who has been mayor since 2008 and won re-election last year, also made a controversial move in 2018 when he proposed banning workplace dress codes that require wearing neckties over claims that they restrict blood flow to the article source: California mayor wants to give homeless people 'all the fentanyl they want': 'Need to purge these people'
Fox News
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
California mayor wants to give homeless people 'all the fentanyl they want': 'Need to purge these people'
A Southern California mayor said he wants to eliminate his city's homeless population by "giving them all the fentanyl they want," a controversial comment he doubled down on by saying he supports a federal "purge" of homeless people. Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris, a Republican, made the comments during a city council meeting on Feb. 25 when a resident questioned him about the city's plan to address the homeless crisis by "enclosing" the homeless population in a single encampment in an abandoned golf course near a residential neighborhood. "What I want to do is give them free fentanyl. That's what I want to do," Parris responded. "I want to give them all the fentanyl they want," he reiterated. The resident replied that the mayor's approach "was not kind." The mayor is now facing a recall effort following his comments at the city council meeting, although it has only collected 6% of its goal of 20,000 signatures. He has faced past scrutiny over his controversial moves, including his decision to extend mayoral terms from two years to four. "For too long, Mayor R. Rex Parris has prioritized personal gain over the well-being of residents. His administration has been marked by mismanagement, controversial policies, and a disregard for transparency," a recall petition reads. "Lancaster deserves leadership that listens, serves, and uplifts the community – not one that divides and exploits it," it adds. But Parris has reaffirmed his position about wanting to give homeless people the illicit drug that kills thousands of Californians per year. He told Fox 11 on Friday that he has no regrets about his remarks and that he was referring to homeless criminals who "refuse" to seek help. "I made it very clear I was talking about the criminal element that were let out of the prisons that have now become 40 to 45% of what's referred to as the homeless population," Parris said. "They are responsible for most of our robberies, most of our rapes, and at least half of our murders," he continued. "There's nothing that we can do for these people." The mayor did not provide data to back up his claims about the number of crimes homeless people are responsible for. Parris said he did not expect his comments to be taken "literally," telling the outlet that fentanyl is "so easy" to obtain on the streets that it would not make a difference if the city offered the opioid to homeless people for free. The mayor sought to credit Lancaster for providing more "innovative" solutions to the homeless crisis than other U.S. cities and floated the idea of a federal "purge" to cut down on the homeless population. "Quite frankly, I wish that the president would give us a purge. Because we do need to purge these people," Parris said. "Now, is it harsh? Of course, it is harsh," he continued. "But it's my obligation as the mayor of the city of Lancaster to protect the hardworking families that live there, and I am no longer able to do it… It's an untenable situation, and I'm open to any solution… I want these people out of our city." Parris, who has been mayor since 2008 and won re-election last year, also made a controversial move in 2018 when he proposed banning workplace dress codes that require wearing neckties over claims that they restrict blood flow to the brain.
Miami Herald
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
California mayor's remedy for homelessness: ‘Free fentanyl' and ‘a purge'
R. Rex Parris, the mayor of Lancaster, California, has ignited a controversy after musing during a council meeting that one approach to homelessness would be to "give them free fentanyl … all the fentanyl they want." Parris, a larger-than-life trial lawyer, made the incendiary comments about the drug - responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths - during a February City Council meeting, in a retort to a resident who objected to his musings of congregating unhoused residents into an "encampment." It wasn't until Parris doubled down on his remarks during an interview with Fox 11 LA that his statements went viral, provoking ire far beyond the high desert city, where he has presided as mayor since 2008. He said that he didn't think anyone had taken his comments literally, but that he did not regret them. In the interview, he said he wished for "a purge" of homeless people. "I made it very clear I was talking about the criminal element that were let out of the prisons that have now become 40 to 45% of what's referred to as the homeless population," he said. "They are responsible for most of our robberies, most of our rapes, and at least half of our murders," he said, without providing evidence to back up those assertions. He added: "Quite frankly, I wish the president would give us a purge. Because we do need to purge these people. "Now, is it harsh? Of course it is harsh. But it is my obligation as the mayor of the city of Lancaster to protect the hardworking families that live here, and I am no longer able to do it. ... It's an untenable situation. ... I want these people out of our city." Parris did not respond to a request for comment from The Times. His political opponents say they are outraged. "Anyone willing to give homeless people all the fentanyl they want, or to suggest that President Trump should allow a purge of the homeless population, has no business in public office," said Johnathan Ervin, a Democrat who challenged and lost to Parris in last year's mayoral election. Ervin has now banded together with the third-place winner in that contest, Mark Maldonado, to try to recall the mayor. Parris has loomed over Lancaster for decades, first as a trial lawyer and civic leader and for the last 15 years as its mayor. The city, which sits in the Mojave Desert in northern Los Angeles County, has a population of about 175,000. According to figures from the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, reported in the Antelope Valley Press, there were 6,672 people experiencing homelessness in 2024, 1,989 more than in 2023. That includes the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, as well as surrounding areas. Lancaster residents have become accustomed to a mayor with proposals that are often grand, and sometimes quixotic. In 2013, he made headlines when, in an effort to woo Chinese investment, he talked of opening a trade office in Beijing and building a Buddhist temple in his Mojave desert town. In 2018, he was back in the news for a proposal to make neckties optional among workers in the city, citing studies that they diminish blood flow to the brain. He's also long been a voice for law and order, and many in his city have taken a dim view of homelessness. In 2021, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California released a report alleging widespread abuse of homeless people in Lancaster. The ACLU contended that the city had created a "dragnet of criminalization" in which deputies and city code enforcement officers "regularly bulldoze encampments of unhoused people and order them to move by threat of citation." At the time, Parris said the city had done more than its share to serve its homeless population. He also said he was "trying to create an environment where people who are disabled can thrive" and that he was "not going to just let people live wherever they want, camp where they want, extort money from people who are shopping." _____ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
