New leadership: Baton Rouge-based Associated Grocers announced that David Politz has been promoted to the interim president and CEO position effective immediately. Politz succeeds Manard Lagasse Jr., who will be leaving the company at the end of the year for another opportunity, the announcement reads. The company, headquartered on Anselmo Lane, services more than 180 retail members across five Southern states.  Transportation secretary?: Donald Trump’s transition team is considering naming Rep. Garret Graves as the federal secretary of transportation. While there hasn’t been an official offer—and nothing is final until Trump says it—Graves is supposedly a contender to lead the Department of Transportation, NOTUS reports. The possibility has also caught the attention of online political betters, who say the chances of Graves being named were roughly between 33% and 40% on various platforms, Politico reports.  New issue surfaces: There are concerns that increasing sales taxes could raise Louisiana’s insurance premiums even higher. If a repair is deemed as a “capital improvement,” it would be exempt, but some insurance industry professionals say it raises the question of what exactly is considered a capital improvement. Read more from The Center Square.