united states and all around the world, we have reports from rome, berlin, the white house and tokyo. this is "early start," i'm laura jarrett. >> good morning, i'm christine romans. we begin in europe, it's cheaper, simpler to deliver and is being pulled off the market, some countries in the last few minutes halting use of the astrazeneca covid vaccine after a small number of patients experienced blood clots. it's another blow to the eu's sluggish vaccine rollout. in vaccine is not authorized in the u.s. yet but it is being counted on to fight the uk variant spreading around the world. >> all this comes at a really difficult time. a third wave of infections is sweeping across europe and forcing renewed restrictions, hospitalizations on the rise in france, germany seeing a spike in cases and italians back under lockdown. that's where cnn's melissa bell is live for us this morning, she's in rome. melissa, good morning. what can you tell us? >> reporter: good morning, lawyer rachlt it was even as italy or parts ofity la, more than half of its regions entered that new lockdown that the news came that italy was growing that growing list list of countries pausing the astrazeneca vaccine. now, we know that the company itself astrazeneca says, look, 17 million doses have now been administered in the uk and in the eu and there have been just over 30 issues of patients who may have gone on to develop blood clots. the company says, look, this is what you would find in the average population or less. i think what began to change minds is there had been a divide between those countries in europe beginning to pause the rollout and germany and france, for instance, that were defending its continued use. then they changed their minds yesterday. i think what's behind that was not so much the question of the numbers of people who had begun to develop blood clots but more this news from denmark that one of the people who had died was found to have unusual symptoms before she did. i think that set off a bunch of alarm bells. the european medicines agency says that the vaccine rollout should continue, it's continued to defend its use, but it is investigating, laura, and until we get those results from the european regulatory body on thursday it's very difficult to see that this debate is going to go away. we happen to be at a vaccination center just outside of rome when the news came, it was delivering the astrazeneca vaccine, it stopped delivering it when the news came. people were turned away. we asked a bunch of them, look, if this advice changes, if the science shows that there is, in fact, no danger, will you come back and take it? all of them said no. i think this is the final irony of this. it was partly because of the natural vaccine hesitancy of european populations that so many of those regulatory bodies decided, laura, that they would pause as a matter of abundant precaution the rollout this have vaccine but that decision almost whatever the science says at this stage is only likely to make that worse. >> this is not helping public trust in people who already might have had worries about the vaccine, as you mentioned, people saying they would not come back is certainly revelatory. thank you for saying on top of this for us. so that vaccine, that astrazeneca vaccine, has not been considered yet for emergency use in the united states. that is expected to happen next month. but there are some doses being produced and packed in the u.s. and mexico wants them. the vaccine is approved in mexico and the country's deputy foreign minister says the u.s. has been asked to share. mexico's president says his country is close to reaching two vaccine deals. more details are expected later today. the biden administration is race to go prepare for another potential surge of coronavirus and for the very first time plans are being drawn up to flood emerging hot spots with vaccines. jasmine wright is live at the white house this morning. talk to me. what exactly is being considered here? how would this work? >> reporter: well, look, laura, the white house, as you said, it's trying to head off any potential fourth surge so they are making plans, really trying to prepare for it ahead of time and that includes investing billions of dollars and a plan to ship vaccines to those emerging hot spots that they have identified through data working with those community leaders and elected officials to make sure that those areas are prepared for any type of uptick because honestly the white house feels like they are in a good place right now, we know that they identified july 4th as a time when we can get back to normalcy and they want to keep along this trajectory. this is something that we did not see from the previous administration who oftentimes responded to those surges after they started happening. now, laura, this comes at a time when the white house is grappling with the influence of former president trump and that he has over the folks that voted for him, really those republican voters who now are more hesitant to take that vaccine and whether or not former president trump is doing enough to get them to get those shots in their arms. now, the white house is kind of taking a line while they would welcome president trump's influence in getting more folks to get their vaccines, they likely are not going to ask him. president biden yesterday in his remarks address it had and instead called on leaders in those communities to pick up the slack. >> they say the thing that has more impact than anything trump would say to the maga folks is what the local doctor, what the local preachers, what the local people in the community say. so i urge, i urge all local docs and ministers and priests to talk about why, why it's important to get that vaccine. >> reporter: now, laura, today we will see president trump make his debut on that help is here tour in pennsylvania where he will visit a small business to talk about how small businesses across the country can benefit from this bill. >> president biden obviously hitting the road, trying to make a real push. they say they're not selling t but they are trying to explain what is in that bill. thanks so much, jasmine. explain, promote, publicize, the white house reaffirming president biden's campaign promise now to raise taxes on the rich. >> his priority and focus has always been on people paying their fair share. there is a shared view that those at the top are not doing their part. obviously that corporations could be pay higher taxes. >> candidate biden pledged tax hikes on the healthy and corporations by reversing some of president trump's 2017 tax cuts. he promised to never raise taxes on anyone making $400,000 a year or less. the treasury secretary janet yellen said sunday tax hikes could be used to control the deficit, but vice president kamala harris did not confirm these reports they would help pay for future plans to boost economic growth. >> we haven't really figured out what the next phase is going to be to be honest with you and we are going to make those decisiones. >> the next phase includes investments in infrastructure, clean energy, education, the biden agenda here, kwt he is how to pay for it, with more borrowing, tax increases or both. a watchdog found the irs is failing to hold wealthy americans accountable for tax evasion. the treasury inspector general says millionaires have dodged $2.4 billion in back taxes. the report warns this leads to the belief the nation's tax system favors the wealthy. the white house staff working in-person or no longer being tested for covid every day as vaccination rates go up around the white house complex. a spokesperson for the white house maintains strong covid protocols like mask wearing, social distancing and regular test something happening. the change only affects those in contact with senior leaders like the president and the vp. more than 20% of recent blood donations from unvaccinated americans had covid-19 antibodies, that was during the first week of march a notable increase from 12% of people whose donations were tested in the first week of january. the presence of those antibodies means those donors were likely infected or exposed at some point. undue influence not grounded in science, those are some of the key damning take a ways from a recent review of some of the cdc's coronavirus guidance under the trump administration. now, this review requested by the cdc's new leadership found some guidance used less direct language than available evidence supported and that it needed, quote, to be updated to reflect the latest scientific evidence. the cdc also identified three documents that were not primarily authored by that agency but were presented as cdc documents. two of those three related to reopening the country and have been removed from the agency's website. all right. still ahead a dallas convention center is the latest line of defense to handle the influx of children at the southern border. migrants lining up to enter the u.s. left with no good option. >> someone stole all her money along the way. without the lactose. t so you can enjoy it even if you're sensitive. yet some say it isn't real milk. i guess those cows must actually be big dogs. sit! i said sit! want to brain better? unlike ordinary memory supplements— neuriva has clinically proven ingredients that fuel 5 indicators of brain performance. memory, focus, accuracy, learning, and concentration. try our new gummies for 30 days and see the difference. hi. so you're the scientist here. does my aveeno® daily moisturizer really make my dry skin healthier in one day? it's true jen. this prebiotic oat formula moisturizes to help prevent dry skin. impressive! aveeno® healthy. it's our nature.™ try the body wash, too. university of phoenix is awarding up to one million dollars in new scholarships through this month, because hope fuels opportunity. see what scholarship you 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wearing the trump hat and george tanios in the red hat with spray before khater uses t officer sicknick and two others can be received retreating from the line there, bent over and holding their face -- their hands to their dpass. so far khater and tanios is not charged with killing sicknick but charges could be added if prosecutors determine that the spray pled l. toed his death. for weeks their pictures have been featured on fbi flyers seeking information, a tipster identified them to the bureau. security officials at the capitol are organizing special emergency training for members of congress. the sergeant-at-arms and capitol police will review procedures including escape routes. they plan to remove the outer fence and are considering scaling back the national guard presence. capitol police believe the rise in domestic extremism believe this is a heightened threat environment, there is no credible threat to the capitol. president biden facing growing pressure even from some democrats over his strategy on the u.s. mexican border. the administration plans to use this convention center in dallas to house more than 2,000 migrant teenagers who have crossed into the united states. >> that's on top of another imagine take site in texas opened over the weekend as the administration struggles to relieve the overcrowding at facilities along the border. carolina panthers's rosa flores is in the border in donna, texas. >> reporter: christine and laura, as tens of thousands of migrants make the dangerous journey here to the u.s. southern border, that is just the beginning. we have talked to migrants who describe overcrowded processing centers without showering facilities and some say that they slept overnight under a bridge waiting to get transported to a processing facility. once there, however, they do say that they get three meals a day. this as cnn learns that about 4,200 unaccompanied minors are in the custody of border patrol. dhs sending cnn a statement saying that border patrol officials, quote, do everything they can to take care of unaccompanied children in their care. according to peter shay, a lawyer who represents thousands of children that are in federal custody and he said that the capacity at the donna processing center that you see behind me is about 1,000 and that right now it's housing about 2,000. the head of homeland security directed fema to help create more shelters for unaccompanied minors. this is an effort to create space to move children out of the custody of border patrol and into the care of hhs. christine, laura? >> rosa flores for us in texas. to pennsylvania where police say a pennsylvania woman created deepfake images of several members of a cheerleading gym to bully them online. prosecutors say raphael la spone created phoney images that made it look like these girls, these cheerleaders, were nude, drinking alcohol or vaping, all of these things could get them cut from the teen. she is accused of sending texts from phone numbers purchased online surging one girl to kill herself. her lawyer says he has yet to see the evidence against his client. first russia poisoned him, now a look inside the notoriously rough prison camp opposition leader alexei navalny is stuck in for the next two and a half years. that's next. ou. get 2 unlimited lines for only $70. and now get netflix on us with your plan. and this rate is fixed, you'll pay exactly $70 total. this month and every month. plus, switch today and get a free smartphone for each line. the best value and award-winning customer service. only at t-mobile. the new myww+ gives you more of what you need to help you lose weight! more simplicity with the what's in your fridge? recipe feature. and more motivation with on-demand workout classes. the new myww+. join now, pay later! get your first three months free. 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it's because it's the territory of the prison they said we can't even register to be here. russians are notoriously secretive about their prisons because they know the conditions inside are poor, not just in this one, but in prisons around the country. this disturbing video posted by a russian newspaper shows prisoners being cruelly beaten by guards in a penal colony in the region next door to where navalny is being held. a russian court has convicted several people of involvement in what's become a national prison scandal. it is common knowledge among inmates these kinds of beatings are widespread. navalny says there's been no hint of violence towards him so far. >> it's forbidden. >> reporter: it may be his enemies at the kremlin want its most prominent critic out of public view. matthew chance. >> matthew, thank you for that revealing report. still ahead, major european nations pressing pause on the astrazeneca vaccine. why trouble abroad could pose a problem in the u.s. you can't plan for your period's... what the gush moments. but the right pad can. only always ultra thins have rapiddry technology and, they absorb 40% faster. the gush happens fast. that's why always absorbs faster. meet jeff. in his life, he's been to the bottom of the ocean. the tops of mountains. the er... twice. and all the places this guy runs off to. like jeff's, a life well lived should continue at home. home instead offers customized services from personal care to memory care, so older adults can stay home, stay safe, and stay happy. home instead. to us, it's personal. home instead. your ring should shine the same way you do. shop exclusive styles from our collections, including vera wang love, enchanted disney, endless brilliance and so much more. shop online with a virtual consultant. exclusively at zales. the diamond store. is skincare from around the world better than olay? 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restrictions all over again. italians back under lockdown, hospitalizations on the rise in france, germany also seeing a spike in cases. cnn's fred pleitgen is live for us this morning in berlin. fred, blood clots seem to be the issue that officials are pulling this out of an abundance of caution. so how is the company going to build back trust after this? >> reporter: well, i think it's going to be very difficult and i think it's going to be a key issue, one of the things astrazeneca is doing, they're saying blood clots don't seem to be an issue they say with their vaccine. they say the amount of blood clotting a that happens after people get the vaccine is not larger than regular blood clotting is people. it is something that folks tend to get each in a normal environment. the uk is saying they believe that the vaccine is safe. as you guys said, more and more european countries are taking a different route. you're absolutely correct. just in morning sweden, cyprus and latvia become among the countries that stopped using the astrazeneca vaccine. italy has stopped using a certain batch, france and germany, of course, the european heavy weights doing exactly the same thing. one of the things we can't overstate is how important this vaccine was and still is to europe's vaccine rollout. it's been sputtering, it's been going slow. for instance, in germany they were going to start administering astrazeneca in general practitioners' offices around the entire country soon. in germany of the 1.6 million doses that have been administered with this vaccine seven people record blood clotting after that happened. there are some people here in germany who think it goes a step too far, nevertheless a lot of european countries have now halt this had vaccine. what's going to happen now this this process is that the european medical agency is going to take a look at this. they will probably come out with new information on thursday and that's when some of these european countries of course will take a new look at whether or not they're going to start administering that vaccine again, but it's really very hard to overstate just how big a wrench all of this puts in europe's vaccine rollout. one german expert said just a couple minutes ago, i was just looking at it, he said there's absolutely nothing that could replace astrazeneca in europe's vaccine rollout at least until -- >> and not just europe, so many developing nations were depending on this one being cheaper and easier to use. fred in berlin for us this morning, thank you. for the first time plans are being drawn up by the white house to flood emerging u.s. hot spots with vaccines. jasmine wright is live at the white house for us. and this is sort of a remarkable, trying to look at the data and figure out where there could be a fourth surge, preparing for the worst really here and figuring out how you can use federal resources to talk to governors and get the vaccine to surgery the vaccine where you need t tell us about it. >> reporter: christine, i think that the white house referred to this as a whole of government approach, right? they don't want to see a fourth potential surge so they are investing ahead of time. they are investing a pllds to make sure that this doesn't happen. one of the ways they're doing so is planning to send a surge of vaccine so those emerging hot spots, as you said that is correct they identified through data. now, this is a break from the past administration that would often respond to these surges and these high cases after it was already happening. this biden white house is trying not to do this. now, this comes as well as we know that they feel that things are going in the right place, we heard president biden last week identify july 4th as a date where some normalcy can come back and they want to continue on this path, but one of the ways that we will get to that normalcy, they say, is by everyone getting this vaccine and that includes trump supporters and hesitant republicans. instead of turning to president trump to put his hand down to try to influence those folks to get vaccines, president biden instead is turning to those community leaders, those preachers and those local doctors to do the work to make sure that those folks come out to get those shots in these arms. he said that yesterday in remarks and he also added that he is getting further and further along to achieving some of those large goals that he set even before he took office. >> over the next ten days we will reach two goals, two giant goals, the first is 100 million shots in people's arms there will be completed within the next ten days and 100 million checks in people's pockets. >> reporter: now, president biden makes his debut today on that help is here tour that the administration has set up. he will go to chestnut, pennsylvania, where he will visit a small business to talk largely about what they will individually benefit from the american rescue plan and what small businesses around the country will benefit from this american rescue plan and we will see vice president harris in denver. christine? >> jasmine, nice to see you this morning, thank you so much. the head of the cdc says the covid variant first identified in the uk, well, it will be dominant in the u.s. in just a few weeks. that of course is another reason to hope the astrazeneca vaccine we've been discussing all morning is confirmed safe. meanwhile, vaccinations overall keep climbing. the seven-day average just hit a record high of more than 2.4 million doses her day. the amount of vaccine in distribution has almost doubled since president biden took office. u.s. officials now expect a total of 240 million shots in the arms by the end of march. even more expected by summer, especially as johnson & johnson ramps up production of its single-dose vaccine and people are responding by leaving the house more. friday the new york city subway system recorded its highest daily ridership since the beginning of the pandemic, although that's still down about 60% from before. now a second state offering vaccinations to anyone 16 and older starting today. cnn has the pandemic covered coast to coast. >> i'm ryan young and the state of mississippi has made a huge decision when it comes to the covid-19 vaccine. anyone over the age of 16 is now eligible to get a shot, that's a shot in the arm that so many people hope that will help them get back to normal. people have to register online first, but then they can get that shot. almost about 11% of the people in mississippi have gotten their shot so far. the governor also tweeted, get your shot, friends, and let's get back to normal. >> reporter: i'm alex marquardt in washington, d.c. where the mayor of the nation's capitol said a number of covid related restrictions would be lifted as the city's cases decrease. for example, starting next week 50 people will be allowed to gather together outside and for the opening day of the washington nationals baseball team around 5,000 are expected to fill the stands. >> reporter: i'm alison kosik. pennsylvania governor tom wolf says he will ease restrictions on businesses and restaurants and increase limits on large gatherings beginning april 4th. the moves come adds covid-19 cases decline in the state and more residents get vaccinated. according to a press release, capacity at restaurants, gyms and entertainment facilities like malls, casinos and theaters will be raised to 75% capacity. masks and social distancing will still be required. >> reporter: i'm adrienne broaddus in chicago. the city's mayor and state comptroller announce add plan that would relax some of the rules surrounding the automatic collection of unpaid parking and traffic fines. it's a move to help eliminate pressure on low income to moderate income families during the pandemic. here is how it works, for the 2020 tax year the relief applies to families of four earning less than $57,000 a year and for singles it applies to those families earning $16,000 or less. >> reporter: i'm jacqueline howard in atlanta. nearly half of parents say their teen's mental health is worse since the pandemic began. nearly 1,000 parents of 13 to 18 year olds were surveyed through cs not children's hospital in michigan. in that survey almost half of parents say they've noticed a new or worsening mental health condition for their teen and a little more than half say they've tried relaxing family rules to give their teens more time with friends. among the parents who did that, 81% said it helped. it was a busy weekend for airports, the most travelers of the pandemic so far and the industry says it is finally seeing demand from travelers. executives from american airlines, united, delta, jetblue all report strong bookings during spring break, several are even selling big now for the summer. american ceo doug parker called the last three weeks the best since the pandemic hit noting bookings are very close to 2019 levels. the news gave airline stocks like united and american a boost on monday. the pandemic hit airlines hard, travel restrictions and fear of infection essentially halted travel. u.s. airlines carried 60% fewer passengers in 2020, the lowest level since the mid 1980s losing about $35 billion. now, the cdc still advises against nonessential travel, but with vaccinations rolling out americans are traveling again. over the past four days 5.2 million travelers were screened at airports, the largest number since march of 2020. a historic vote in the senate to confirm president biden's choice for interior secretary. deb holland will become the first native-american cabinet secretary. four republicans joined senate democrats in voting for her. in 2018 holland was one of the first two native americans elected to congress. georgia advocacy groups are lobbying corporations over voting rights. they urge coca-cola, home depot, delta and georgia-based companies to oppose voting restrictions proposed by republican lawmakers. one of the billboards says, hey, coca coca-cola, the freedom to vote tastes good to all georgians. coca-cola and home depot say their corporations are aligned with the georgia chamber of commerce against those measures but it's not clear what action the companies will take. last week republicans advanced a sweeping bill in the state senate that would repeal no excuse absentee voting for many georgians. 1.3 million georgians voted absentee in last november's election and now republicans in texas already home to some of the most restrictive election laws in the country are introducing bills that would make it even harder to vote. the effort appears focused on harris county, home to democratic leaning houston which saw a big turnout last year after allowing 24 hour drive through voting sites during the pandemic. one quick correction, we just said the u.s. expects 240 million doses in arms by the end of march. it's actually ly 240 million do manufactured, 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every yikes... and even every awwwwwwww... wait, where was i? introducing self protection from xfinity. designed to put you in control. with real-time notification and a week of uninterrupted recording... all powered by reliable, secure wifi from xfinity. gotta respect his determinatio. it's easy and affordable to get started. get self protection for $10 a month. right now the secretaries of state and defense beginning a trip to asia with tops in japan and south korea. their top priority countering china's threats to stability in the region and beyond. blake essig is live in tokyo. tony blinken and lloyd austin spoke a few minutes ago. what did they say? >> reporter: well, christine, they talked about the goal of this first cabinet-level overseas trip which was to promote peace, security and reinforce to the entire world that the u.s. is back and the fact that they did it here in tokyo really speaks to the importance of the japan/u.s. relationship as one of the most important alliances in the world to those two countries. now, throughout the day they talked about a number of topics including a free and open indo-pacific, denuclearization of a nuclear north korea and an increasingly aggressive china. defense secretary lloyd austin said this during that presser. >> for the last two decades we've been focused on -- necessarily focused on issues in the middle east, and while we were focused on issues in the middle east, china has modernized its military. in addition to that, it has engaged in aggressive and in some cases coercive behavior and some of that behavior has been directed against our allies in the region. and so our goal is to make sure that we maintain a competitive edge over china or anyone else that would want to threaten us or our alliance. >> reporter: now, china's foreign ministry was asked about the u.s. and japan meeting today and they said this, the u.s./japan cooperation should be conducive to unity and cooperation among countries in the region as well as peace and stability in the asia-pacific region. the spokesperson went on to say that it should not target or undermine the interests of any third party. the secretary of state and the secretary of defense now head to seoul for meetings with their counterparts there before heading to anchorage, alaska, where they will meet with chinese officials. christine? >> blake essig in tokyo. thank you for that. the defense in derek chauvin's trial claims the jury pool has been tainted because the city of minneapolis agreed to pay $27 million to the family of george floyd. now, the judge says that that is concerning, but it has not ruled on the request for a delay and change of venue. so far nine jurors have been seated for the chauvin trial. let's take a look at markets around the world right now. asian shares are closed for their tuesday trading session and closed higher, europe has opened higher, and on wall street stock index futures barely mixed here. look, the dow and the s&p both hit record highs on monday. you've got vaccine progress, you've got hopes for eventual reopenings and investors are optimistic americans will be able to spend money and travel again. in fact, airline stocks rose monday after executives from several major airlines all reported strong bookings during spring break. a bright spot for the struggling hotel industry is going private. two investment firms bought extended stay america for $6 billion with small kitchens and affordable monthly rates this was popular with medical professionals and other essential workers. in fact, the company boast add 74% occupancy rate last year compared with the industry average of 44%. the last year was the worst on record for u.s. hotels and not expected to fully recover until 2023. that global computer chip shortage means some gm truck owners, you're going to pay more at the pump. gm will produce some 2021 pickups without a fuel management module giving drivers one less mile per gallon. the chip shortage has caused problems for auto makers who cut back on orders when the pandemic hit. tesla has fared better than most over the past year. tucked in an sec filing monday two lines, ceo elon musk disclosed he now has a second title, tech know king of tesla and it's cfo is the master of coin, both will also, laura, keep their standard titles, laura, queen of the flash cam. >> okay. yukon earns the top seed in the women's ncaa tournament but they will have to play without their head coach. coy wire has this morning's "bleacher report." >> hi, laura. gina isolating away from his number one seed huskies, he has tested positive for covid-19. uconn says the 66-year-old hall of fame coach received a second vaccine shot last wednesday, is currently not experiencing any symptoms. he will miss the first and second rounds of this tournament in san antonio. he has won 11 national titles, more than any other women or men's basketball coach. stanford will be the number one overall seed, nc state and south carolina are the top seeds. six officials have been sent home ahead of the men's tournament due to covid-19 protocols, one of the referees tested positive, the others ruled out due to close contact. the ncaa putting everyone involved in march madness through rigorous covid testing protocols upon arrival in indianapolis. loyola chicago they are back in the tournament for the first time since the ramblers improbable final four run in 2018, you remember their biggest fan sister jean. she wants to be there, too. the 101-year-old team chaplain wants a blessing from the ncaa to watch her team in-person in indianapolis. she's been fully vaccinated, but restrictions have left her on the outside looking in so far. sister jean says she promises not to storm the court if loyola wins. and the defending champs looking to run it back, buccaneers star tight end rob gronkowski resigning with the team on a one-year deal worth a reported $10 million. gronk earned his fourth super bowl ring in his first season with tampa. his super bowl winning mvp quarterback tom brady going to have his phone ringing off the hook this week. he gave out a cellphone number on social media yesterday. >> so listen rule number one before we get into any of this, no texting on game days. sometimes it gets hard to sort through the, you suck, brady, in the comments. i know there's quite a few of those over the years, it's usually from the jet fans, but to be clear if you do text me, you suck, yes, i will' see it and i may or may not respond. >> laura, haven't texted yet but maybe he will -- >> blowing up his phone all night. >> yes, all night. >> oh, man. okay. he may come to regret that one. thanks so much, coy. appreciate it. so they say heavy is the head that wears the crown, unless of course you are accused of stealing it. a florida mother and her teenage daughter were arrested for allegedly hacking into student accounts to, get this, rig the contest for high school homecoming queen. police say laura rose carol an elementary school assistant principal was able to access student accounts so that she and her daughter could cast hundreds of fake votes. the daughter was named homecoming queen in october. christine, do you even remember who your homecoming queen because because i don't. it suggests to me nothing is worth going to jail for like this. >> i was my homecoming queen and i guarantee it was not rigged. >> i should have known. >> i can't believe it. the cheer mom story is my other cringe worthy story. >> i'm calling for a full investigation now. >> thank you for joining us, i'm christine romans. >> i'm laura jarrett, not homecoming queen. 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