Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute Chair Lincoln Díaz-Balart, who served in both chambers of the Florida Legislature before winning a long-held seat in Congress, has died.

He was 70.

Díaz-Balart’s brother, U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, shared word of his death Monday.

“It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Lincoln Díaz-Balart,” the post on X said.

“Defender of the silenced and oppressed, author of the democracy requirement for the lifting of U.S. sanctions against the Cuban dictatorship, and the author of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NCARA), Lincoln’s legacy of achievement will endure for generations and continue through the work of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) which he founded in 2023.

“Lincoln’s profound love for the United States, and his relentless commitment to the cause of a free Cuba, guided him through his life and 24 years in elected public service, including 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. … We will miss him infinitely.”

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This is a developing story and will be updated.

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A South Florida Republican invoked Russian foreign policy going back to World War II in his critique of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday.

Responding to a question about Hegseth’s announcement that the U.S. Cyber Command would pause offensive efforts against Vladimir Putin’s government while a Russo-Ukrainian peace deal is being negotiated, U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez chided the Donald Trump appointee’s decision.

“I don’t know why he’s doing that. The Russians are attacking us every single day, the Chinese are attacking us every single day; I don’t think you signal to the Russians that, hey, we’re gonna unilaterally withdraw from this space. If they can keep attacking us, and they do every single day,  they should be fearful of our capacity to inflict damage on them. So I really don’t understand where that’s coming from,” Gimenez said during an interview on “Varney and Co.”

While the Miami Republican stopped short of saying the move represented what his interviewer framed as a “tilting” toward Russia, he then assigned Russia equal responsibility with Germany for major actions in World War II.

“The Russians have been aggressors for a long, long time. Remember how World War II began? A lot of people remember about Germany invading Poland. Yeah, they invaded Poland from the west. The Russians invaded Poland from the east. That’s how World War II started, and so this is not something new,” Gimenez said.

That “Russian aggression” is why “those nations there are petrified of what’s going on in Ukraine, fearing that they’re going to be next,” Gimenez added.

“We cannot show weakness with Russia,” he said. “Peace through strength, and that’s the only thing the Russians, and frankly the Chinese, understand.”

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A renewed push to “decouple” thoroughbred racing is starting its course through the Legislature, once again sparking debate about the future of the state’s storied horse racing industry.

HB 105, filed by Rep. Adam Anderson, would remove the requirement that thoroughbred racing facilities host live races while allowing them to continue operating existing slot machines and cardrooms. Supporters of the bill argue that the change would give the Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs racetracks more flexibility to invest in upgrades that could ultimately benefit the industry.

However, industry stakeholders in Florida and throughout the country insist this decoupling could weaken — and potentially cripple — Florida’s long-standing reputation as a leader in horse racing and a key player in the racing industry worldwide.

According to an Economic Impact Study published by the American Horse Council, Florida’s thoroughbred industry generates $3.24 billion annually and supports more than 33,500 jobs.

Some lawmakers have pointed to a drop in foal production as a sign of the declining state of the industry. What this argument doesn’t address is the question of whether quality outweighs quantity. Florida trails only Kentucky in the number of race victories, which would suggest that the quality remains high regardless of the number of foals.

Proponents of the bill also assert that the industry is “subsidized” by the state, while thoroughbred groups have emphasized how legislative investments have led to a multibillion-dollar agricultural sector. Also of note is that the Legislature spared thoroughbreds from decoupling when it enacted the 2021 Gaming Compact, and passage of the decoupling bill would run contrary to that recent policy decision.

The 60-day Legislative Session begins Tuesday and runs until May 2.

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