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Thursday, November 12, 2026Nov 12

The Latest: Tillerson arrives in Alaska for Arctic meeting

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, seated right, and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, seated left, speak with representatives of Alaska Native groups at an Arctic Council event in Fairbanks, Alaska. High-level officials from the world's eight Arctic nations will meet in Alaska this week amid concerns about the future of the sensitive region after President Trump called for more oil drilling and development. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, seated right, and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, seated left, speak with representatives of Alaska Native groups at an Arctic Council event in Fairbanks, Alaska. High-level officials from the world's eight Arctic nations will meet in Alaska this week amid concerns about the future of the sensitive region after President Trump called for more oil drilling and development. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen) U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, seated right, and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, seated left, speak with representatives of Alaska Native groups at an Arctic Council event in Fairbanks, Alaska. High-level officials from the world's eight Arctic nations will meet in Alaska this week amid concerns about the future of the sensitive region after President Trump called for more oil drilling and development. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) – The Latest on a meeting of the Arctic Council (all times local):

10:30 p.m.

The secretary of state is in Fairbanks for a meeting with the world’s eight Arctic nations amid concerns about the future of the sensitive region after President Donald Trump called for more oil drilling and development.

Rex Tillerson landed on Wednesday afternoon and immediately held a meeting with a congressional delegation as well as Arctic representatives from Alaska’s indigenous people.

Protesters gathered in a city park nearby to denounce the presence of Tillerson, who is the former president of Exxon Mobil Corp.