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.