look for the ecolab science certified seal. good morning, everyone. this is "early start." i'm laura jarrett. >> and i'm amara walker. 28 minutes past the hour. >> time for our top stories to keep an eye on today. simone biles wrapping up her highly anticipated return to the olympics, she just finished on the balance beam. a solid performance, but the best she can rank is send place. vaccine demand is on the rise. the number of people getting their first dose shot up 76% in just three weeks. still mask mandates are returning in many places, including san francisco and louisiana. in new york, mayor de blasio stopped short of a mandate for masks saying he wants new yorkers to focus on vaccinations. two more police officers who responded to the