Target Refuses To Sell Beyonce's New Album

If you were planning on heading down to your local Target to buy the new Beyonce album, think again.
Target has opted out of selling "Beyonce" at its stores once iTunes' exclusive sale ends after Dec. 18, according to Billboard. Retailers are expected to have the album on shelves by Friday, Dec. 20, but it likely won't come with any bonus material or exclusive content.
"At Target we focus on offering our guests a wide assortment of physical CDs, and when a new album is available digitally before it is available physically, it impacts demand and sales projections," Target spokesperson Erica Julkowski told Billboard. "While there are many aspects that contribute to our approach and we have appreciated partnering with Beyonce in the past, we are primarily focused on offering CDs that will be available in a physical format at the same time as all other formats. At this time, Target will not be carrying Beyonce's new self-titled album 'Beyonce.'"
A representative from Target was not immediately available for further comment.
Back in 2011, Beyonce partnered with Target for the release of "4" with a deluxe version of the album. At the time, Target’s vice president of entertainment, John Butcher, told The Hollywood Reporter that the superstar singer had saved some of her favorite tracks just for the retail chain.
This time around, Beyonce's only target was her fans.
She released her self-titled album on Dec. 13 without any promotion or fanfare. The work came complete with 14 songs and 17 videos, making it an immersive "visual album."
"Now ... it's all about the single and the hype," Beyonce said. "It's so much that gets between the music and the artist and the fans. i felt like I don't want anybody to give the message when my record is coming out. I just want this to come out when it's ready and from me to my fans ... I would make my best art and just put it out."
The 32-year-old is certainly is doing just fine without Target. "Beyonce" has already shattered records selling 828,773 copies over the weekend. It's set to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard chart.

2 winning tickets sold in $636 million Mega Millions drawing

ATLANTA (AP) -- Two lucky winning tickets were sold in Tuesday's near-record $636 million Mega Millions drawing: one at a tiny newsstand in Atlanta, and the other more than 2,000 miles away in California.

The lucky Georgia ticket was sold at a Gateway Newsstand in Atlanta's affluent Buckhead area, Mega Millions Executive Director Paula Otto said.

Newsstand owner Young Soolee grinned as she arrived Wednesday morning at the shop off the lobby of the Alliance Center office building. The newsstand is frequented by workers at the office building, which sits across the street from an upscale mall.

"I'm so excited and so happy now," Soolee said. "I love my store and the customer now."

Buckhead is a financial center of Atlanta and one of its largest neighborhoods, a vast northern area known for upscale shopping centers such as Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza, both a short walk from the store that sold the winning ticket.

The California ticket was sold at Jennifer's Gift Shop in San Jose.

The winning numbers in the drawing were: 8, 14, 17, 20, 39; Mega Ball: 7.

The jackpot was the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history. It started its ascent Oct. 4. Twenty-two draws came and went without winners, Otto said.

Otto said $336 million in tickets were sold for Tuesday's drawing - they had projected $319 million.

"Sales were a little better than we'd anticipated," Otto said. "It was a fun run; it was our first holiday run for either of the big jackpot games."

The winners can choose to be paid over time or in a cash lump sum, Otto said. Based on the $636 million figure, the winners would receive $318 million each over time or $170 million each in cash.

Mega Millions changed its rules in October to help increase the jackpots by lowering the odds of winning the top prize. That means the chances of winning the jackpot are now about 1 in 259 million. It used to be about 1 in 176 million, nearly the same odds of winning a Powerball jackpot.