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Before you start reading this, the title is not to imply that Google News will rank HTTPS content better - they may or may not. This title means that Google News will display the HTTPS version of your URL over the HTTP version of URL when they know both work.
This is also how Google web search works. Google will always opt to show your HTTPS version over your HTTP version unless you instruct them otherwise via 301 redirects, canonical tags, etc.
Stacie Chan from Google said in a Google+ hangout at the 32:28 mark that the Google News Bot prefers the HTTPS version. She said:
The Google News Bot prefers HTTPS. So if we find your HTTPS content, that’s what we will actually going to index. So there is no need to submit two of everything anymore. I would just start investing in HTTPS content because it is more secure.
Listen for yourself:
Now, just like the Google News ranking is unaffected by the mobile-friendly algorithm, I would not be surprised if Google News ranking is unaffected by the HTTPS ranking algorithm as well.
This is just about indexing and what URL Google displays in news and web search.
Forum discussion at Google+.
