The hover box display (seen below) is an attractive and interactive way to display news stories.  You can find setup instructions here.  The example below shows the 2 column version with the two most recent news stories on this site that have featured images.

Block Reference
Read article: LAS alumnus set for 2020 Paralympics
LAS alumnus set for 2020 Paralympics
Head coach of the University of Illinois wheelchair track team Adam Bleakney (BA, ’00, English; MS, ’02, journalism) is a four-time Paralympian and silver medalist. Now the LAS alumnus is leading a contingent of 15 Illinois wheelchair track...
Read article: Talking about health like never before
Talking about health like never before
COVID-19 has changed how—and how openly—we talk about health. This includes discussions that would have once seemed odd or intrusive: Is everyone in the car fully vaccinated? When did you get your second shot? Which shot was it? In fact, experts say the pandemic’s effect on how we communicate about...