An ethnic Dargin, Mr Magomedov was a persistent critic of Mr Aliyev's administration, and his nomination - which came hard on the heels of Mr Medvedev's appointment of a new special envoy to the North Caucasus - suggests that the Russian leadership is keen to see changes in the republic.

BBC: Dagestan profile

Does the administration support that appointment, and what, if anything, could he accomplish considering the failure of previous efforts on this track?

WHITEHOUSE: The White House

Warren has been a fierce critic of the financial sector following the 2008 crash, but her appointment to the Obama Administration was held up by Republicans in Congress.

FORBES: Connect

Finally keep an eye on the Public Administration Committee's pre-appointment hearing (at 4.30pm) for the chair of the UK Statistics Authority - in June, Dame Janet Finch, withdrew her name from consideration after being quizzed by the committee - and ministers promised it a bigger role in this appointment in the future.

BBC: Viewing guide: The pick of the week ahead in Parliament

Reid had been notified by the Bush administration that the President intended to exercise his recess appointment power to get a few people hired into his administration that the Senate, under control of the Democrats, had refused to confirm during regular session.

FORBES: It's Time To Stop Pretending That Republicans Have Cornered The Market On Dirty Politics

They cite, for example, the method the Obama administration used to circumvent Senate approval (which is explicitly required under Dodd-Frank) for the appointment of the head of the CFPB and the technique of funding the bureau through mandated payments by the Fed.

ECONOMIST: A tiny Texas bank challenges Dodd-Frank