Just to close the loop.... it is...... WORDS WITH FRIENDS! It is a very popular game, but it sure is buggy. I don't even think they are intentionally playing the random ads. Thanks for the help.
Nothing suspicious in there. It has not happened for the past few hours. Though I have not made any calls. Trying to determine if that is what triggers the event.
Will try safe mode. I'm usually very careful about what I download. But I do recall trying a few apps recently and instantly deleted them. I tried running malware bytes, with no luck.
The voice search from the home screen is no longer working. It accepts my command and then shows the search terms in the search bar.... but all I get is a blank screen and the "hourglass" spinning. It worked a few weeks ago. Help??