No items from bubbles anymore? Home town

I am getting the commercial balloons: watch a 15-30 commercial clip and get to pick a prize out of 3 boxes. That's a nice bonus but not nearly enough to collect expansion pieces. The regular balloons used to yield a decent return until recently. I haven't gathered an expansion piece or Vu tower piece in over a week when before I would get half a dozen a day. If I cannot expand my city or use the tower then why even play anymore? Lame.