By Holmes Lybrand, CNN

(CNN) — The criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia — the man the Trump administration deported to El Salvador last year despite a judge’s order barring his removal to the country – have been dismissed by a federal judge in Tennessee.

When he was transported back to the US last year, Abrego Garcia was immediately charged with two counts over allegedly transporting unlawful migrants in 2022. His attorneys fought the charges, saying they should be dismissed because they were selective and vindictive because of the administration’s public missteps in deporting Abrego Garcia.

“The objective evidence here shows that, absent Abrego’s successful lawsuit challenging his removal to El Salvador, the Government would not have brought this prosecution,” Judge Waverly Crenshaw wrote in his opinion dismissing the counts Friday.

The judge added that the investigation into the 2022 traffic stop was closed, and “only after Abrego succeeded in vindicating his rights did the Executive Branch reopen that investigation.”

“The evidence before this Court sadly reflects an abuse of prosecuting power,” Crenshaw wrote.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

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By Kyle Feldscher, CNN

(CNN) — NASCAR driver Kyle Busch required medical attention on Wednesday after coughing up some blood and experiencing shortness of breath while getting ready for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600.

According to a 911 call obtained by CNN in response to a request for recordings related to Busch’s medical emergency, a caller – whose name is redacted in the recording – asks for an ambulance to come to a training facility in Concord, North Carolina.

“I’ve got an individual that’s (experiencing) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out and producing a little bit of blood – coughing up some blood,” the caller said.

The caller states that Busch was lying on the bathroom floor and was awake at the time of the call. The caller requested that the ambulances approach the building with sirens off and gave directions on the quickest route to Busch.

The 911 call, made at 5:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, came almost exactly 24 hours before NASCAR, Busch’s family and Richard Childress Racing announced Busch’s death. CNN has bleeped out the address and name of the facility to which the ambulance was called.

The Associated Press reports Busch was testing at a racing simulator on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, citing several unnamed sources familiar with the situation speaking on condition of anonymity because details have not been disclosed by Busch’s team or family.

Busch’s family and his team, Richard Childress Racing, announced the news of his death on Thursday, just hours after his family posted on social media that Busch was hospitalized with a severe illness. The family did not specify the type of illness. He was scheduled to race at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday.

The younger brother of fellow NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch was one of the most recognizable and successful drivers in the history of NASCAR and racked up a win just last weekend.

A driver who often reveled in being the villain and was given the nicknames “Rowdy” and “Wild Thing,” the Las Vegas native was in the midst of his 22nd season in NASCAR’s top division, credited with 63 victories over 762 race starts, which ranks ninth on the all-time wins list. His two Cup Series titles came in 2015 and 2019, while with Joe Gibbs Racing.

His final Cup Series victory came in June 2023 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. While he was experiencing a rough patch in the Cup Series, Busch was regularly successful in other NASCAR series and was considered one of the greatest drivers in the sport.

Last weekend, Busch competed at the Dover Motor Speedway, winning the Trucks Series race and later finishing 17th in the NASCAR All-Star race. After his win, he reflected on the thrill of winning, regardless of the race or the circuit.

“Take whatever you can get, man,” Busch told reporters after winning the Trucks Series race. “You never know when the last one is gonna be. So cherish them all, trust me.”

Busch had been sick in recent weeks. During the race at Watkins Glen on May 10, Busch can be heard on his radio asking for a doctor after the race. He told reporters last week at Dover that he had a substantial cough during the Watkins Glen race, where he finished in 8th place.

The news of Busch’s death has sent the motorsports world reeling, with tributes pouring in from all over the globe to Busch’s tenacity and penchant for winning.

His team, Richard Childress Racing, announced on Friday that it will suspend the use of Busch’s No. 8 car and will instead run the No. 33 car.

“Kyle Busch was instrumental in the design of RCR’s stylized No. 8 and it has become synonymous with Kyle and an important symbol for his fans and the NASCAR industry

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By Devan Cole, CNN

(CNN) — The Trump administration’s newly created nearly $1.8 billion fund for allies of President Donald Trump who say they were wrongly targeted by the government was hit with a second lawsuit on Friday, adding to the growing legal and political backlash facing the White House.

Friday, a diverse group of people and organizations — including a former federal prosecutor and a prominent government watchdog group — asked a judge in Alexandria, Virginia, to block the Trump administration from distributing any money, arguing the fund is unconstitutional and violates a series of federal laws.

Among the plaintiffs in the case are Andrew Floyd, a former federal prosecutor who worked on criminal cases brought against people who participated in the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot, and John Caravello, a professor in California who was acquitted of charges that he assaulted a federal agent while protesting an immigration raid last year.

Also challenging the new fund is the city of New Haven, Connecticut, the National Abortion Federation and Common Cause, a watchdog group that frequently challenges controversial moves by the Trump administration.

The lawsuit comes two days after current and former police officers in Washington, DC, who defended the US Capitol during the riot sued to block implementation of the fund, arguing it could potentially be used to pay individuals who participated in the attack and finance various paramilitary organizations in the country – both of which they say would be unlawful.

The fund announced Monday was born out of an extraordinary settlement reached between the Trump administration and Trump, one of his adult sons and the Trump Organization in a lawsuit they brought in January over the unauthorized disclosure of Trump’s tax information years ago.

The fund, which will be run by five commissioners selected by the attorney general, will review claims submitted by people who say they were unfairly targeted by previous administrations. The massive pot of money is being drawn from the DOJ’s Judgment Fund, which is taxpayer money set aside by Congress for monetary settlements the government reaches.

In the new lawsuit, the plaintiffs specifically challenge the Trump administration’s decision to draw from the Judgment Fund for the new program, arguing it’s unlawful because the underlying legal case was “meritless” given the president’s unique role as both a plaintiff and the Executive Branch agencies that were named defendants in the lawsuit.

They also say the fund violates the Constitution by usurping Congress’ authority over the country’s purse strings, among other things.

“This latest attempt by the Trump-Vance administration to make grift great again is profoundly unlawful and will not withstand judicial scrutiny,” said Skye Perryman, the president and CEO of Democracy Forward and one of the attorneys who filed the lawsuit. “This lawsuit is about protecting the rule of law and preventing a dangerous abuse of government power, and we will keep showing up in court to hold this administration accountable.”

The new fund has drawn criticism from Democrats and even some members of Trump’s own party, with Senate Republicans saying this week that they were blindsided by it and at odds over how to rein it in, CNN reported.

During a private meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Thursday, several senators had warned that the party’s major immigration enforcement bill could be derailed with the issue of the fund hanging over them, according to a person familiar with the matter, and hardly any members spoke up in the meeting to defend it.