Some US lawmakers remain relentless in drafting new legislation that seeks to punish South Africa on a range of policy fronts, going further than the measures already brought by the second Trump administration. The latest Bilateral Relations Review Bill, sponsored by a Texas Republican congressman, Ronny Jackson, will need plenty of support to make it past both legislative houses in the States, however. One of Jackson’s bill’s biggest advocates is the Hudson Institute’s Joshua Meservey, whom our specialist News24 journalist, Carol Paton, spoke to. Paton reports what she’s hearing from Meservey and others in Washington to The Lead in this Thursday edition. Finally, host Graeme Raubenheimer ends with “On This Day in SA History”, our new daily show segment. You can send host Graeme Raubenheimer a short voice note with your questions or thoughts on this episode to our official The Lead WhatsApp line, that’s: +27 72 562 3179. Mail your comments to [email protected]. Editions drop on Monday through Thursday at 19:00 on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.