What is happening to my bearings?

The paper method, you gotta be careful with that. Wondering if a chunk of your thin paper strip got stuck in the bearing. I’d reclean it from scratch, spin dry it, then give it some thin lube (just a single droplet). I did the paper cleaning method the other day and found that a small piece got stuck in there. I usually flick the bearing before I reassemble the yoyo to see if it feels smooth or not.