Google seems to be testing the rollout of top stories within the AI Overview section of the Google Search results. This was something Google pre-announced last month and it now seems to be rolling out to some searchers.
Lily Ray first spotted this and posted about it on X and I was able to replicate it in one of my browser sessions - not all:
The screenshot on the right shows a Top Stories carousel with content from The New York Times, Yahoo and others. I didn't see the preferred sources, but I assume they can show up if there is content that matches your query to your preferred sources.
Google wrote in May, "for some searches when you have a question about a developing topic, you'll start seeing a prominent carousel, which will also highlight your Preferred Sources. This will help make timely articles more visible on a wider range of queries."
This UI change can be a big improvement and send nice traffic to publishers.
Forum discussion at X.
Update: July 16th, I am seeing this again:
I'm seeing top stories again in Google AI Overviews - @lilyraynyc spotted them a few weeks ago https://t.co/lnaSqDM1UM 💩🥬 pic.twitter.com/5mS2VEMjbY
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) July 17, 2026
Update: On July 17th, Google confirmed this is fully live in the US for mobile searchers.
