Obama to announce energy, environment picks

CHICAGO (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama will hold a news conference at 5:00 p.m. EST on Monday, his transition office said on Sunday, and he is expected to announce his choices for energy secretary and a top environmental adviser.

Obama is expected to name Nobel physics laureate Steven Chu as his energy secretary, and former Environmental Protection Agency chief Carol Browner as the head of a new council that will coordinate White House policy on energy, Democratic sources have said.

(Reporting by Deborah Charles; editing by Mohammad Zargham)