You might not be able to officially call an election on partial counts, but based on the current vote % and the % remaining, you can be reasonably certain what the outcome will be. For instance, if it's 2-1 against (ie. 66% against, 33% for), and 75% of votes have been counted, then it's almost impossible for remaining votes to change the result. It's the basis on how the AP can call elections before all the votes have been counted, and still be mostly correct.

Not sure it is a recent trend, but I've noticed the prevalence of news articles just before something happens. Like "covid cases soon to hit 1 million" a day or two before it happens but nothing on the actual day the threshold is passed.

Plus all the news articles along the lines of "In a speech today, so-and-so will announce some thing" published long before the speech is made.

Wonder why that is?

Get in early in the news cycle, fill the news feed, get more clicks.