Biden weighs pick for agriculture chief from diverse slate

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden’s choices for secretary of agriculture are as diverse as the department of 100,000 employees that he or she would represent. The choice is especially critical this year as USDA provides extra aid for the hungry and oversees food production amid the pandemic. For Biden, the emerging choice between Rep. Marcia Fudge of Ohio, former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and several other potential candidates seems like another test of his vision for the Democratic Party. It’s a contest between urban and rural and liberals and moderates, with the pick potentially placing an added emphasis on anti-hunger programs, farm subsidies or worker protections.