Hello (once again)
I am beginning to wonder why I am the one asking all the questions 
a) Is there a way to add a ‘new’ icon in the latest product additions? I saw some old threads but nothing that works now.
BONUS QUESTION: Is the block newest products working for any of you or is it a known bug to be fixed?
There are addons by Alt-Team and CodingStaff as well as others that do what you want. Just do some looking for product labels here on the forum and you'll find the addons available for purchase.
Thanks,
Brandon