Is anyone else having problems importing photos in Tahoe 26.1 or 26.2?

Photos import in Tahoe is broken -- brand new iMac (M4 chip), running Tahoe 26.2, and the Photos app cannot import new photos from an iPhone or import photos sent via AirDrop.

When I try to run an import from the iPhone, the only thing that happens is that a series of icons at the top of the window jutter back and forth for a few seconds, and then stop. (see attached image capture of those buttons) The latest tech I spoke with says this is a known issue for multiple users and that we will have to wait for a Tahoe update before we can import photos again.

I would love to know what got broken, as I've never had problems importing photos while running Ventura or Sequoia on older machines.

(While incredibly frustrated, I also feel like I ought to light a candle for the techs who will be fielding questions about this throughout the holidays...)