Nation States: How the Middle East Playbook Was Rewritten

The assumptions that shaped U.S. Middle East policy for decades are no longer the same. Steve Yates explains how American energy production, the Abraham Accords, the rise of Iran as the region’s primary threat, and China's growing influence have fundamentally changed the strategic landscape. He out…

Nation States: Sanctions Done Right and America's Financial Edge

America’s financial power may be one of its most effective tools between diplomacy and war. Steve Yates argues that the Trump administration and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are reshaping sanctions into a more targeted, results-driven instrument focused on changing behavior, disrupting threats,…

Nation States: The Axis of Aggressors and the Multi-Front Threat

A new national security warning argues that China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are cooperating more closely than many Americans realize. Steve Yates examines the core findings of The Axis of Aggressors, outlining how military support, technology transfers, energy partnerships, and cyber coordinat…

Nation States: Why North Korea Is No Longer a Regional Threat

North Korea has quietly evolved from an isolated regional challenge into a global security player with growing influence far beyond the Korean Peninsula. Steve Yates examines how Pyongyang's support for Russia's war effort, expanding missile and nuclear capabilities, cyber operations, and long-stan…

Nation States: Why the FCC Is Now a National Security Agency

America’s communications networks are now a national security battleground. Steve Yates highlights how FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has expanded the agency’s role beyond traditional regulation to confront foreign influence, strengthen telecom supply chains, secure undersea cables, remove high-risk equ…

Nation States: China's AI Push and the Race for Technological Supremacy

China is aggressively advancing its artificial intelligence capabilities, leveraging open-source models and state backing to challenge American technological leadership. Steve Yates breaks down the national security, economic, and cultural risks facing everyday families if the United States loses i…

Nation States: What Recent Iran Escalation Means for Main Street

Steve Yates analyzes the recent US military escalation targeting Iran's Revolutionary Guard, explaining how strikes on energy infrastructure and shipping threats directly impact gas prices back home. He details why this focused counter-terror campaign differs from past endless wars in Iraq and Afgh…

Nation States: Pax Silica and America’s Coalition to Win the AI Century

As artificial intelligence reshapes economies, supply chains, and national security, the real competition may hinge on who controls the technology, minerals, energy, and manufacturing needed to power it. Steve Yates examines Pax Silica, a U.S.-led initiative designed to strengthen trusted partnersh…

Nation States: Pax Silica, America’s Blueprint for Winning the AI Century

America’s race to lead the AI century will depend on far more than faster chips or bigger data centers. Steve Yates examines the State Department’s Pax Silica initiative, explaining how trusted alliances, secure supply chains, critical minerals, semiconductor manufacturing, and strategic investment…

Nation States: America’s Hidden Weakness, Supply Chains

America’s supply chains are more than an economic issue. They are a national security issue. Steve Yates explains how dependence on the People’s Republic of China for critical materials, medicines, semiconductors, and manufacturing creates strategic vulnerabilities, why COVID-19 exposed those risks…