What has been happening recently has been more and more evidence about the conditions of ancient Mars, especially in relation to the long-term presence of water. We've known for a long time that Mars has had liquid water on it in the past, what we haven't known is how much and for how long and under what conditions. We've known more recently that Mars still contains a substantial amount of sub-surface water ice over much of its area. And we've learned more recently that Mars appears to have had sufficient water to form long-lived lakes and rivers, long enough to allow the formation of both rounded river rocks and pebbles as well as conglomerate rocks made up of those but also hydrate minerals that can only form in conditions of near neutral pH and low salinity.
These are big discoveries, even though from a certain perspective they may seem like yet another "water on Mars!" story. These discoveries are painting a picture of ancient Mars that was not just occasionally wet or perhaps a hellscape Mars covered with brackish or boiling lakes but an almost familiar Mars with lakes and rivers that would be nearly drinkable for humans and that lasted millions of years at least. Certainly conditions that lots of Earth-bound life would find it quite easy to live in. And that provides the tantalizing hope that perhaps some form of life arose on Mars and survived for a time and perhaps lives still in some sheltered underground areas. It's not evidence or proof of life, it's the hint of a possibility. But again, that's the way science works. You narrow down possibilities and provide hints for further investigations.