I have to agree with you on the summation that it is an Apple problem, which is probably caused by changes related to their recent announcements (new OS, Macs, etc.). My issue surfaced only Wednesday (Mountain Standard Time). On Tuesday I backed up data and prepared the computer for a complete erase and install of High Sierra.
I have just completed another test on a pristine install of High Sierra but this time I had someone else created the default account (admin) and associate their Apple ID so that it would be the account used when downloading from the App Store. They are getting the same issues.
This needs to be fixed! With this pandemic and current politically unstable climate, my financial resources are reserved for important needs; I can NOT afford to be spending money on a new Mac just to keep pace with Apple's changes. If that were the case I would buy a Windows PC for a fraction of the cost and throw it out every couple of years and buy a new one. I would prefer to buy a Mac and have it last.