Photoshop won't create new layers

After installing the latest 24.4.1, I was unable to paste content (text & image) from a MS Word doc into a Photoshop doc with the Text tool already selected. I have done this procedure for years to create video slates. However, 24.4.1 would not create a new layer and the "current" layer would not allow me to paste or paste into (grayed out).  I finally was able to create the slates yesterday on an older (2022) version of PS remotely on our office computer. Today I rolled back to 23.5.5 and I am again able to create the slates on my Windows 10 box. I had been able to create the slates (saved as Photoshop docs) on some version of 2023, but life is too short to keep uninstalling/installing trying to find the version that will do what I need. It was prior to the B/W strobe issue. This looks like a bug to me. I could not find any useful past advice that was relevant.