Biden picks California attorney general to lead US's post-Trump Covid response

• Latino Xavier Becerra, 62, nominated as health secretary
• Health agency plans mammoth effort to vaccinate Americans

President-elect Joe Biden announced key members of his health team Monday, with California attorney general Xavier Becerra, a prominent defender of the Affordable Care Act, to lead the administration's coronavirus response as health secretary.

If confirmed by the Senate, Becerra, 62, will be the first Latino to head the Department of Health and Human Services, a $1-trillion-plus agency with 80,000 employees and a portfolio that includes drugs and vaccines, leading-edge medical research and health insurance programs covering more than 130 million Americans.