Remember this moment because it probably won't last: A U.S. lottery jackpot is projected to soar above $1 billion, and that's still a big deal. Friday’s Mega Millions drawing jumped to an estimated $1.22 billion just hours ahead of the draw, up from an estimated $1.15 billion, evoking headlines and likely luring more people to convenience stores with dreams of private spacewalks above the earth. It doesn't seem to matter that the nation's top 10 jackpots — not including this one — already have boasted 10-figure payouts. For many of us, something stirs inside when a number ticks one dollar above $999,999,999. “The question lurking is, what happens when $1 billion becomes routine and people don’t care about it anymore?” said Jonathan D. Cohen, author of the 2022 book “For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America.” MORE: https://www.wthr.com/article/news/nation-world/mega-millions-friday-jackpot-surpasses-1-billion-is-this-the-new-normal/507-6ee21247-eeb2-44a3-8c56-2fab0084c44d