News at 6 - May 8, 2026

James Rider surrendered himself to Alaska State Troopers for violating probation and criminal trespass charges, according to his brother Michael Cox — ten days later, Rider was found dead in a Palmer jail. He had hanged himself. On Friday, May 8, the United States Marine Corps, along with Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, announced that they plan to have both a rotating and persistent presence in Alaska. It’s an announcement Sullivan said has been in the works for “a long time.” Senator Dan Sullivan announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Friday which would see the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) helping to host and perform research on burgeoning military and other technologies in partnership with private industry.