Powers of Congress vs Powers of the President: Supreme Court considers the definition of 'recess appointments'

Can the president bypass the Senate in making temporary appointments? Gwen Ifill talks to Marcia Coyle of the National Law Journal about how a local labor dispute transformed into a debate of presidential power and the Supreme Court's first time considering the Constitution's recess appointments clause.

Janet Yellen to be nominated as next head of the US Federal Reserve

US President Barack Obama will nominate Federal Reserve Vice-Chair Janet Yellen to be the next head of the US central bank on Wednesday, according to a White House official.

If confirmed by the US Senate, Ms Yellen, 67, would replace Ben Bernanke, who has held the post for eight years.

She has been his deputy for the last two years, and would become the first woman to head the Federal Reserve.

Ms Yellen and Mr Bernanke are due to appear with the president on Wednesday.

She has taught at Harvard University and the London School of Economics, as well as holding a series of senior administrative positions in the US.

Read more on this story at the BBC

See Mark Mardell, BBC North America Editor's opinion on Yellen's nomination here