Austin, TX
Statesman executive editor to step down, take top editor role at Houston news outlet
American-Statesman Executive Editor Manny García will step down this month to take the role of editor in chief at the Houston Landing, a digital nonprofit news organization.
García’s last day with the Statesman will be March 29. Gannett, the Statesman’s parent company, will conduct a nationwide search for a successor.
“A career highlight for me has been leading the Austin American-Statesman for the past three years,” García said. “It is among the strongest and most talented news teams in all of Texas. No one can tell the story of Austin and Central Texas better than our award-winning newsroom. Period.
“The #MightyStatesman has a great future because of the talented bench of journalists that we have and the top-shelf leadership team that is in place.”
García joined the Statesman in 2021. The February 2021 winter storm caused a major power crisis and disruptions to water systems across Texas, including in Austin, two weeks into his tenure. García drove his truck in the snow to pick up Statesman journalists stranded in their homes and take them to the newsroom, which had power and water.
The newspaper’s “defining moment,” in García’s words, came more than a year later, when a gunman killed 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on May 24, 2022.
Under his leadership, the Statesman became a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for meritorious public service in 2023 for “unflinching coverage of local law enforcement’s flawed response” to one of the worst mass shootings in Texas history.
García won the Benjamin C. Bradlee Editor of the Year Award from the National Press Foundation in 2022.
Judges who chose García for the top honor cited his decision to publish a video obtained by Statesman journalist Tony Plohetski that showed multiple law enforcement officers stalling in a hallway at Robb Elementary for 77 minutes before a U.S. Border Patrol SWAT team confronted and killed the gunman. The footage disproved early claims by law enforcement and government leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, that officers had rushed in heroically to save lives.
After a federal review of the shooting, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Jan. 18 in Uvalde called the police response the “most significant failure” and said a Justice Department report concluded that had police rushed to confront the shooter, “lives would have been saved and people would have survived.”
A special Texas House committee impaneled to investigate the shooting released its report in July 2022 but would not have a Spanish version of the document for weeks, it said. For Uvalde — a community with more than 80% Hispanic or Latino residents and where half the residents age 5 or older speak a language other than English at home — García got to work to get Spanish speakers the House’s shooting report sooner.
García led the translation effort through a collaboration with Spanish-speaking journalists from USA Today and across the U.S. and in Mexico. The Statesman printed 10,000 copies of the report, and staffers, including García, distributed them for free in Uvalde at churches, restaurants, convenience stores, the library and other locations.
“The Statesman is so fortunate to have had Manny García leading our team and helping us become better journalists,” Managing Editor Courtney Sebesta said. “It’s an honor to help lead the Statesman and support the colleagues I’ve worked alongside for 22 years during this transition. Our Statesman journalists are extremely dedicated to their community and will continue to steadfastly report on issues that are important to Central Texans.”
García has previously held leadership roles at the Miami Herald, el Nuevo Herald, The Naples Daily Herald, USA Today and the ProPublica-Texas Tribune Investigative Initiative. He has also served journalism through the Investigative Reporters and Editors, the News Leaders Association and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
“We sincerely appreciate Manny’s contributions and wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors,” said Kristin Roberts, chief content officer of Gannett. “We are excited about the opportunity to find an Austin American-Statesman executive editor to serve the community and create the growth plan for the No. 1 source for Austin and Texas breaking news, politics and business.”
An outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness that can cause explosive diarrhea, has been confirmed in Texas, prompting health officials to urge extra precautions when handling fresh produce.
The Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed 48 cases of cyclosporiasis across 10 Texas counties. State health officials say there have been no deaths linked to the outbreak so far.
There are no reported cases in Southeast Texas at this time, and Port Arthur officials say they have not received any reported cases from area hospitals or health care providers. Still, health officials say now is the time to take extra precautions.
Judith Smith, Port Arthur’s director of health services, said cyclosporiasis is caused by “a microscopic parasite that is usually found in contaminated food and contaminated water.”
Smith said contamination typically stems from floodwater or sewage water when produce is harvested, allowing parasites to transfer to produce long before it reaches consumers.
“I have not heard of an outbreak like this. It’s been a while. It might have been 2023, 2024, and so, you know, and of course, Texas is not immune,” Smith said.
Smith said foods that are eaten raw can pose a higher risk. “Those foods that are not cooked are the ones that really make you more at risk,” she said.
Health officials recommend washing raw produce, including lettuce, cilantro, raspberries and basil. They also recommend cleaning cutting boards, refrigerating fresh goods and throwing away any remaining produce after experiencing symptoms.
Symptoms can include watery diarrhea, fatigue, lack of appetite and a low-grade fever. “Those individuals that may have that watery diarrhea or really just more than two to three days should seek medical attention,” Smith said.
Testing can confirm the parasite, and early treatment can help prevent more serious complications, especially for children and elderly relatives. Health care experts recommend contacting a health care provider as soon as possible if persistent stomach cramps and other symptoms develop after eating fresh produce.
The Texas Longhorns are less than two months away from starting their regular season slate of the 2026 schedule.
Just like last season, the Longhorns have been given unrealistic expectations by some, but will look to avoid the slow start that had everyone counting them out in September. On paper, the Longhorns should be a lot better than they were last season.
A national championship run should be on the table for head coach Steve Sarkisian and his team. One of the reasons that is a possibility is due to the Longhorns have something in common with previous national championship winners.
Legacy Year
Last season, the college football world was enamored by the Indiana Hoosiers. A program that no one saw ever winning the national championship, was hoisting the trophy at the end of the season.
Now, the Hoosiers had a talented roster from top to bottom. But the play of starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the leading factor in this team reaching the mountaintop.
Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning has the chance to make that same impression this season. After his first full season as the starting quarterback in Austin last year, there is a growing confidence that Manning is going to be on another level in 2026.
Last season, Manning threw for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdown passes. If you were to compare those numbers to Mendoza’s last season, the Hoosiers quarterback threw for 3,535 yards and an impressive 41 touchdown passes.
Those numbers make it clear that Manning will have to elevate his performance this season. With a revamped offensive line, the Longhorns quarterback may have the time to rival the numbers of Mendoza from this past season.
But another key piece to the Longhorns’ 2026 roster is a massive wide receiver addition.
It’s going to take the whole village, and Coach Sarkisian went out and got one of the most talented wide receivers in the transfer portal with Cam Coleman.
Coleman had two solid years with the Auburn Tigers and now will look to be the deep field threat for Manning and the Longhorns. The junior receiver’s addition to the roster could take this offensive unit to being one of the top units in the country.
All championship teams have a quarterback who could lead them to victory. Manning could very well be the next elite quarterback to hold a national championship trophy.
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Join several Austin labor unions and community members to honor Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s life and the countless immigrants who have been impacted by ICE.
The community vigil will take place at the Wildflower Church on Saturday, July 11th starting at 6 PM. All are welcome to bring flowers and candles as we honor the loss of life and grieve the separation of families.
Community Vigil Details
🗓️ July 11, 2026 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
🗺️ 1314 E Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704
🚗 Public transit and rideshare encouraged! Limited parking available and overflow parking may be available at Travis High School.
Please consider donating to the family’s GoFundMe if you are able: https://bit.ly/atx4lorenzo
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