Frozen game/menu after ad

When I load the game, there is a full screen popover (AKA modal) promoting whatever is the current thing, right?  You know what I'm talking about.   

Expected behavior: Usually, you click the 'x' in the upper right of the pop-over the window should go away so you can load the game or do whatever else.  After clicking 'x' there is a subtle transition: the modal disppears, and then the black transparent overlay "behind" it should go away. 

However, currently, if I load the game, I click out of the popover, then this black transparent layer does not disappear, and nothing in the UI is clickable because 'it thinks' the black sheer layer is in front of everything still. 

Screenshot from the first time this happened, stuck in this state after "closing" the popover.  Can't click anything.  Had to force quit:

TL;DR: modal BACKGROUND not disappearing after x-out.  unplayable, can't click to load a save, create new, or anything else in the game UI.  

Only workaround = disconnecting from wifi so the marketing window does not appear in the first place.  But then I can't play the event in game (even if reconnected to the internet).   This is another (small) bug barely worth mentioning

 - when the game loads without internet, even if all settings are set to online etc, when you re-connect some features resume working while others don't.  I.e. After loading the game in offline mode and reconnecting, the gallery works again, but I noticed that the event/rewards system won't work fully if I wasn't connected on game load. So I could play the event if I were to while being connected... but currently being connected means I can't play, period.  lol

I've been able to replicate the issue 4 times.  Only one instance had any cc.

This initially occurred when CC mods were installed, however no script mods, gameplay mods, UI mods were in my mods folder.  To be safe, I removed ALL cc/mods to play, I was able to replicate it with a vanilla game-load after removing localthumbcache and repair install.  The only way around it is to play offline and forfeit participating in the event.

Side note: I saw a link "If you're having an event bug report it here", and it is frustrating that this post for "all the event bugs" is broken out into a finite group of issues linked, none of which fit the problem I am having for instance.  The one that was closest, but still not accurate, was marked as "resolved".  This blocks me from reporting an issue that hasn't been reported, sending a mixed message to players.

In case any simmers are curious, the household is by sleepyboyrun, has a great backstory.  love their sims!