The Atlantic Wire - The most controversial elements of Arizona's immigration law have been blocked by a federal judge. Major provisions, such as one requiring authorities to check the immigration status of individuals while enforcing other laws, will not go into effect. U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton also barred the state from requiring immigrants to carry their papers at all times. While this isn't the last say on the Arizona law, it's a major victory for the bill's opponents. Here's what observers are looking at now and anticipating for the future:

AP - House investigators accused veteran New York Rep. Charles Rangel of 13 violations of congressional ethics standards on Thursday, throwing a cloud over his four-decade political career and raising worries for fellow Democrats about the fall elections.

The Newsroom - In the three months since oil first spewed into the Gulf of Mexico, thousands of people throughout the coastal region have lost jobs or seen their incomes slashed. Many businesses are reeling too. BP has pledged to make good on all legitimate claims for damages. But how well is the process going?

U.S. News & World Report - If you love class warfare, your moment has arrived. The next several weeks, leading up to the November elections, are sure to be filled with resounding political invective over who should pay for Washington's profligate spending over the last decade. Democrats will argue that the rich and near-rich should pony up, since they have the most money to start with. Republicans will point to the needy, arguing that they've been getting too much aid for too long. Tea Partiers will struggle to decide whose benefits should be cut in order to achieve the smaller government they envision. ...

Time.com - The closing arguments in the corruption trial of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich bring out over-the-top rhetoric, tears and an odd ethnic joke

CQPolitics.com - Sometimes, you can almost hear the conventional wisdom and expectations shift, even when they are based on faulty premises.

The Upshot - The Democratic National Committee debuted today a major initiative it says will tie the Republican party to the tea party movement. The idea is to drive a wedge between the activist base of today's GOP and the more moderate and independent voters the party relies on in major elections to make up for the advantage [...]

Politico - The quietly approved resolution lets staff to testify in grand jury probe of Nevada Republican's affair.

Politico - Nevertheless, Brewer swears she will be "relentless" in pursuing an appeal for the immigration law.

AP - A criminal investigation into the leak of tens of thousands of secret Afghanistan war logs could go beyond the military, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday, and he did not rule out that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could be a target.

AP - President Barack Obama says Shirley Sherrod "deserves better than what happened last week" when the black Agriculture Department official was ousted in a racial firestorm over selective remarks.

AP - Russians may now face jail time for crimes they have not yet committed under a new security law signed Thursday by President Dmitry Medvedev.

AP - On the surface, a judge's decision to block tough provisions of Arizona's immigration law was a defeat for the state's Republican governor and a win for the Democratic Obama administration. But neither party is sure it will play out that way politically, either this fall or beyond.

Ann Coulter - While engaging in astonishing viciousness, vulgarity and violence toward Republicans, liberals accuse cheerful, law-abiding Tea Party activists of being violent racists.

CQPolitics.com - House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer confidently painted a rosy picture Thursday of House Democrats' prospects in the midterm elections.

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — Two former top officials of Arlington National Cemetery faced hostile questioning on Capitol Hill Thursday about years of negligence that led to unmarked and mismarked graves and mishandled remains.

CQPolitics.com - Corporations would be required to give their shareholders an annual vote on how much money to spend on political activities under a bill approved by the House Financial Services Committee on Thursday.

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — A special House of Representatives subcommittee on Thursday outlined 13 counts of ethics violations against Rep. Charles Rangel, the former chairman of the powerful tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. The charges place his political career in jeopardy and could put Democrats on the defensive as November's elections approach.