Nation States Update: Nation States with Yates Hits 1 Million Downloads! China, Iran & What's Next

Nation States with Yates celebrates a major milestone: 1 million podcast downloads since launching in May 2026, including nearly 400,000 downloads in October alone! Steve Yates thanks listeners for their incredible support and highlights recent episodes examining America's post-election China strat…

Nation States: Trump’s Asia Trip and the Taiwan Test

As President Trump prepares for back-to-back summits in Manila and Shenzhen, the real story may be playing out around Taiwan. Steve Yates explains how Chinese military flights, coast guard pressure, and diplomatic signaling are all connected to a high-stakes round of U.S.-China engagement. The ques…

Nation States: Why China Became an Election-Year Kitchen Table Issue

China may not be listed on the ballot, but its impact on American land, jobs, energy, agriculture, trade, and fentanyl remains front and center. Steve Yates explains how China emerged as a key issue in races across Texas, Iowa, and Ohio, why voters connect Beijing to everyday concerns, and how the …

Nation States Update: China on the Ballot: 2026 Midterms, Trump's Asia Showdown & Taiwan

China is on the ballot in the 2026 midterm elections, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Steve Yates examines how the Chinese Communist Party, fentanyl, farmland ownership, and U.S.-China trade are shaping critical congressional races from Texas to Ohio to Iowa. With Election Day approaching, Stev…

Nation States Update: 2026 Midterms: Affordability, Muslim Brotherhood & Global Security

With the November 3rd midterm elections approaching, Steve Yates examines the critical issues shaping America's future. From the affordability debate and the Muslim Brotherhood's relevance to American politics to border security, energy independence, and technology, what's really at stake for voter…

Nation States: The Muslim Brotherhood From Egypt to Michigan

The Muslim Brotherhood has moved from foreign policy debates into the center of a major U.S. Senate race. Steve Yates examines the movement’s origins in Egypt, its political ideology, its record across the Middle East, and why multiple governments have labeled or restricted it. He also breaks down …

Nation States: The Real Affordability Debate Beyond Prices

Affordability is usually framed around gas prices, groceries, and housing costs. Steve Yates argues that voters should ask a different question: can America afford to reverse the policies shaping border security, energy production, technology investment, and cooperation across the Western Hemispher…

Nation States Update: Iran, Russia & the Midterms: What Can America Really Afford

Iran, Russia, rising affordability concerns, and the upcoming midterm elections are dominating the headlines—but what do these challenges really mean for America's future? On this edition of Nation States with Yates, national security expert Steve Yates examines the critical foreign policy, economi…

Nation States: Family Lessons and Policy Answers on Fentanyl

Fentanyl is more than a drug crisis. It is a family crisis, a public policy challenge, and, in Steve Yates' view, a national security issue. Drawing from the loss of his daughter after a fentanyl overdose, Steve shares hard-earned lessons about addiction, treatment, emergency decisions, grief, and …

Nation States: A Father's 12 Days of Fentanyl

A personal account of the fentanyl crisis through the eyes of a father who lived it. Steve Yates shares the 12-day journey that began with an overdose call about his daughter Christina and ended with difficult decisions, hospice care, and heartbreak. Along the way, he reflects on addiction, counter…