Nation States with Yates

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Nation States Update: Trump's Ukraine Peace Push, Diesel Prices Surge & Houthis Threaten Middle East Stability

President Donald Trump faces mounting foreign policy challenges as efforts to negotiate peace between Russia and Ukraine encounter new disagreements, diesel fuel prices p

Oct 17
2 min

Nation States: Taiwan’s National Day Message to the Free World

Taiwan’s National Day address was about far more than cross-strait relations. Speaking in Taipei, President William Lai framed Taiwan as a free society rooted in self-gov

Oct 15
13 min

Nation States: Rubio’s Athens Speech and the Case for a Strong West

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech in Athens offered more than a foreign policy message. It framed a broader argument about national strength, Western civilization,

Oct 13
12 min

Nation States Update: Marco Rubio's Warning to Europe, Taiwan's Message to China & Trump's Russia Oil Deal

Steve Yates previews a consequential week in global affairs as President Trump explores a potential Russia oil deal to ease diesel prices, negotiations over the Russia-Uk

Oct 12
1 min

Nation States: Pete Hegseth’s Vision for America’s Future Force

A headline-grabbing speech at Quantico was about far more than culture wars. Steve Yates examines Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s first State of the Force address, focusi

Oct 8
20 min

Nation States: The 2026 Midterm Checklist for America

Four years can change the direction of a country. Steve Yates compares where the United States stood heading into the 2022 midterms versus the landscape facing voters in

Oct 6
19 min

Nation States Update: FlyDubai Red Flags, B-1 Bombers Leave UK & Chinese Spy Arrested at LAX

Steve Yates breaks down the major national security and geopolitical stories shaping the week, including new details surrounding the FlyDubai hijacker and troubling quest

Oct 5
2 min

Nation States Update: Iran Terror Threats, America’s AI Edge & the China Challenge

Steve Yates delivers a Nation States weekend update on the major national security and geopolitical developments shaping the U.S. competition with Iran and China. Steve

Oct 2
2 min

Nation States: Grading the Trump-Xi Summit After Washington

A state dinner and red-carpet diplomacy made headlines, but Steve Yates focuses on the real scorecard after Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington. From the temporary trade tru

Oct 1
29 min

Nation States: Why Trump Rejected Iran’s Seven-Day Hormuz Deal

Iran offered a seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but the price was steep: sanctions relief, unfrozen assets, and an end to economic pressure before any lasti

Sep 29
25 min

Nation States: What Main Street Gets From the United Nations

As world leaders gather for the United Nations General Assembly, Steve Yates examines a question most Americans rarely ask: what does the United Nations actually deliver

Sep 24
26 min

Nation States: Xi’s Washington Visit and the Test of U.S. Leverage

As Xi Jinping heads to Washington for another summit with President Trump, the real question is not what gets announced, but what gets delivered. Steve Yates explains why

Sep 22
21 min

Nation States: China’s AI Playbook and America’s Red Line

China’s top security officials have laid out their biggest fears about artificial intelligence and the roadmap they believe will keep the Chinese Communist Party in contr

Sep 17
24 min

Nation States: Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong, and China's Defining Test

Jimmy Lai's imprisonment has become a measure of far more than one man's fate. Steve Yates examines how the jailed Hong Kong publisher's story challenges decades of U.S.

Sep 15
26 min

Nation States: Are We at War? The Constitution, Iran, and Presidential Power

When does a military conflict become a war, and who gets to decide? Steve Yates examines the constitutional, legal, and political debate surrounding U.S. military action,

Sep 10
31 min

Nation States: Canada, China, and the Future of North America

A surprising question at a Canadian security conference sparks a bigger conversation about the future of the U.S.-Canada relationship. Steve Yates looks beyond headlines

Sep 8
26 min

Nation States: Adoption and the American Idea of Belonging

America adopts more children into permanent families than any other wealthy nation, and Steve Yates argues that fact reveals something deeper about the American idea itse

Sep 3
29 min

Nation States: A White House Witness to 9/11, 25 Years Later

Twenty-five years after September 11, 2001, Steve Yates shares a firsthand account from inside the White House complex as America came under attack. Drawing on his experi

Sep 1
28 min

Nation States: Trump, Xi, and the Real Stakes of September's Summit

As Xi Jinping prepares to visit Washington for a high-stakes summit with President Trump, Steve Yates looks past the diplomatic theater to focus on what matters for every

Aug 27
27 min

Nation States: Economic Outcast and America’s Iran Strategy

A major shift in U.S. strategy toward Iran may redefine how America uses power abroad. Steve Yates breaks down Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s newly announced Operatio

Aug 25
28 min

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Position in the Politics chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#100#198AugSepOct

#37

all-time peak

days in the top 50 since May 2026

Chart positions

Where Nation States with Yates ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 19, 2026).

#75 ▲ 31 Politics US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Steve Yates delivers exactly what the show promises: clear, experience-based analysis that cuts through the noise and explains how global events actually affect the United States. As a former White House national security official, he brings real depth without the usual Washington jargon. Episodes on Taiwan, China, borders, North Korea, and the practical meaning of the nation-state are consistently insightful and grounded in American interests. The short format (roughly 25–35 minutes) and straightforward style make it easy to stay informed without feeling overwhelmed. One request for future episodes: I’d love to hear more on how specific international developments shape U.S. diplomacy and national interests. In particular: • The Taiwan–Myanmar relationship (or parallel dynamics involving Taiwan’s international space and the situation in Myanmar), and what those connections mean for American strategy in the Indo-Pacific. • The changing political situation in the Solomon Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia — why these shifts matter, how external influence is playing out, and the implications for U.S. diplomacy, alliances, and presence in the Pacific. • The wars and insurgencies in Africa, especially the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Sahel insurgencies. How do these conflicts affect U.S. diplomatic priorities, resource security, great-power competition, migration pressures, and broader strategic interests? Additionally, a standalone discussion of the Monroe Doctrine would also be timely: its original intent to keep external powers out of the Western Hemisphere, its modern implications amid Chinese and other foreign influence in Latin America, and how current South American political shifts directly shape U.S. diplomatic priorities, security decisions, and regional strategy. Thanks for the insightful episodes. Keep up the hard work!

darkh2os · Aug 2026

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