I think it should have been repurposed to create more awareness to non-profit Bitcoin related projects and also announcements about any updates or upcoming events.
We are already using News section for all that in Header space, that is visible to everyone and there is no need to add any additional space for ads.
Right now you can clearly see latest post in News is to Help 1Dq create 15th anniversary forum artwork, but it was used for Pizza contests and for Bitcoin core updates.