U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Aug. 14, 2026.
Samuel Corum | Getty Images
Hello, my name is Justina Lee from Singapore. Welcome to another edition of CNBC’s Daily Open.
As the conflict in the Middle East drags on, challenges aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln are affecting the mental health of US soldiers.
President Trump continues to double down on his Middle East rhetoric, pushing forward with his Gaza plan while insisting that the Strait of Hormuz will soon become US territory.
Relations between the United States and South Korea have also come into new focus after President Trump asked the Pentagon on Sunday to scale back planned joint military exercises.
What you need to know today
The protracted Middle East conflict has entered its sixth month and is beginning to take a toll on U.S. soldiers.
Following reports that a sailor jumped from the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln during an extended deployment to the Middle East, Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, acknowledged there were mental health issues on board the aircraft carrier.
Lincoln, deployed for more than eight months, is facing reports of widespread morale and mental health problems as the conflict continues with no clear end in sight.
US President Donald Trump has said the Strait of Hormuz will soon become US territory as he asserts his dominance in the Middle East conflict. This claim was rejected by Iran as negotiations with Tehran to open key parts appear to have stalled.
Experts also warned that rapidly releasing oil reserves in response to the Iran war could damage the caverns that house America’s strategic oil reserves, as stocks hit a 40-year low.
On the Gaza front, diplomatic sources said President Trump’s special envoys met with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo on Sunday to advance the Gaza peace plan.
Meanwhile, President Trump attacked South Korea, accusing it of refusing to help Iran denuclearize, and ordered the Pentagon on Sunday to scale back planned joint military exercises with Iran.
In Asia, the Chinese National Tax Administration is said to be moving to conduct large-scale training for local officials to adjust how offshore trusts are taxed after new rules have caused confusion among the wealthy.
In more China-related news, investors will be keeping an eye on the country’s retail sales and investment figures to be released later in the day.
Turning to the market, Anthropic’s revenue reportedly surged more than 14x year-over-year in the second quarter as it prepares for a potentially blockbuster initial public offering.
Separately, Google’s parent company Alphabet is now the third-largest holding in Berkshire Hathaway’s stock portfolio, with data suggesting Berkshire has bought about $7 billion in Alphabet stock on the open market.
Asian markets opened mixed on Monday, with US stock futures little changed.
—Justina Lee
And finally…
Heatwave spurs the earliest Champagne harvest in history, putting its famous taste to the test
Sweltering summer temperatures are likely to make the Champagne harvest one of the earliest and perhaps the most difficult on record. Winemakers in the French region are facing declining crop yields, weak consumer demand and threats to the iconic drink’s famous fresh taste.
This year’s Champagne season officially begins on August 15th, with the bulk of the harvest scheduled to take place between August 20th and 25th, about two weeks earlier than in recent years. Until the early 2000s, the sparkling wine grape harvest, which brought in $6.6 billion in sales revenue last year, was mostly harvested in September or October.
—Jenny Reid
