7 Things: CDC says you can gather without a mask if vaccinated, lottery bill might be delayed again, Alabama’s retail sales steady amid pandemic and more …

7. Cancel culture has a busy Monday

• Dr. Seuss was canceled last week; this week, there are some cartoons and a fast food chain on the chopping block. Warner Bros. announced that the handsy Joe Biden-esque Pepe Le Pew has been axed from “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” much to the chagrin of the actress who finally gives him his “comeuppance,” and Disney+ has removed “Dumbo,” “Peter Pan,” “The Aristocats” and “Swiss Family Robinson” from the under seven years old section.
• Additionally, Burger King’s marketing geniuses placed an ad and tweeted that “Women belong in the kitchen,” which sparked a round of pretend outrage from people who love pretend outrage and decided not to read the tweets that followed about a scholarship for female employees to receive culinary training. Intent didn’t matter, as the mob was mad and Burger King eventually caved.

6. Cuomo impeachment resolution introduced

• Amid calls for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) to resign, Republicans in the New York Assembly have announced an impeachment resolution due to the nursing home scandal and sexual harassment allegations. 
• New York State Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay said that Cuomo has lost credibility “and now has an inability to lead.” Barclay also referenced the report that showed Cuomo underreported coronavirus deaths in nursing homes by about 50%. 

5. Marshall claims victory in ERA ruling

• Three states made attempts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), but Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed a motion to block this action and now a federal judge has granted that motion because the number of years that allowed for ratification have passed.
• The ERA was passed in the 70s and was not ratified. Congress tried to extend the window for ratification to 1982, but it failed to receive approval from 35 of the 38 state legislatures it needed for ratification. Marshall’s office said this is a “major victory,” and Marshall added the court “agreed with our argument that the ERA expired decades ago and cannot be sneaked into the Constitution.” 

4. Alabama retail sales remained strong through pandemic

• In Alabama, retail sales only fell slightly through the coronavirus pandemic, according to data from Modern Shipper. Alabama only had a decline of 3.3% for in-store sales.
• Alabama also had a 26.1% growth in e-commerce. The state was fourth for e-commerce, but also saw a 9% overall increase in retail sales. 

3. Lottery bill ‘up in the air’

• State Senator Jabo Waggoner (R-Vestavia Hills) says State Senator Del Marsh’s (R-Anniston) lottery bill is “up in the air” due to “moving parts.”
• Marsh spent much of Monday in discussion with Governor Kay Ivey and members of the House of Representatives about the bill. Marsh previously said the bill would be ready by 2:00 p.m. Tuesday when the Senate convenes. It is unclear if that timeline might be delayed now.

2. Vaccines working as Americans pretend to feel guilty

• As vaccine rollouts take place across the country, many Americans are bragging about getting the vaccine, some are complaining about not getting the vaccine and others are upset that they themselves got the vaccine (“vaccine guilt”). All of this is silly because the vaccines are clearly effective with Alabama seeing less than 300 new coronavirus cases three times in the last seven days, down from 3,782 new cases on January 8.
• While states are all rolling out the vaccine in slightly different ways, we are clearly getting shots in arms. Goals of 1 million shots a day in the first 100 days of the Biden administration have been smoked as we approach 3 million vaccines a day thanks to “Operation Warp Speed.”

1. Yes, you can gather without a mask if you have the vaccine

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed what most already assumed — that those who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus can safely gather without a mask. Despite this, though, they’re still recommending fully vaccinated people mask in public. 
• People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose of the vaccine. There have continued to be questions about why those who are fully vaccinated still have to mask and socially distance in public.