Daily briefing
The Associated Press

A steam train travels through the Harz forest to the top of northern Germany’s 3,743-foot Brocken mountain near Schierke, Germany, on Monday. The Associated Press
District of Columbia
Top Court declines to hear lawsuits
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is declining to hear an appeal from oil and gas companies trying to block lawsuits seeking to hold the industry liable for billions of dollars in damage linked to climate change.
The high court said Monday it won’t hear from the companies seeking to block lawsuits from dozens of state and local governments.
Florida
Blue Origin to retry rocket launch
CAPE CANAVERAL — Blue Origin, founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, will try again to launch its massive new rocket as early as today after calling off the debut launch because of ice buildup in critical plumbing.
The New Glenn rocket was supposed to blast off before dawn Monday with a prototype satellite from Cape Canaveral, Florida. But ice formed in a purge line for some of the rocket’s hydraulic systems, and launch controllers ran out of time to clear it.
New York
Traffic into Manhattan drops 7.5%
NEW YORK — A new toll on drivers entering the core of Manhattan brought modest but measurable traffic reductions to New York City in its first week of operation.
That’s according to early data released by the MTA, which found a 7.5% drop in the number of cars entering the city’s central business district.
South Korea
Captured NKorean forces won’t defect
SEOUL — South Korea’s spy agency has told lawmakers that two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces while fighting alongside Russian forces in Russia’s Kursk region haven’t expressed a desire to seek asylum in South Korea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he’s willing to hand over the soldiers to North Korea if the country’s authoritarian leader, Kim Jong Un, arranges for an exchange with Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia.
Congo
Several towns recaptured from rebels
GOMA — The Congolese army says several towns that fell to armed groups in the eastern North Kivu and South Kivu provinces have been recaptured by government forces.
A Congolese army spokesman said on Sunday that a joint military operation uprooted the rebels from at least six towns. Aid workers warn that the displaced camps and aid facilities are being overstretched as more people try to seek refuge.
Tokyo
Tsunami alert lifted after earthquake
TOKYO — A strong earthquake has rattled southwestern Japan, but there were no reports of serious damage. Japan’s Meteorological Agency lowered the magnitude to 6.6 from a preliminary estimate of 6.9 for the Monday night quake.
Tsunami advisories were issued in Miyazaki prefecture, where the temblor was centered, on the southwestern island of Kyushu, and nearby Kochi prefecture on Shikoku island. Those advisories were all lifted after about two hours.