bank accounts. with so much money being pumped into the economy, the question is whether it could be too much of a good thing. and the crisis on the southern border. the biden administration sends fema to help manage the surge of unaccompanied minors. question is, how will the u.s. government safely accommodate the more than 4,000 children in custody? plus, the latest on the scandal surrounding new york governor andrew cuomo, as democrats turn up the heat and urge him to resign. the question is, where does the president stand? it's "way too early" for this. good morning! and welcome to "way too early," the show that's also following music history being made. we're going to get to that just ahead. i am kasie hunt on this monday, march 15th. we'll start with the news. the president and vice president will hit the road to begin promoting the new covid relief package this week. the president begins with an event at the white house today, while vice president harris will appear at a covid vaccination site in las vegas. tomorrow the president travels to pennsylvania, while the vice president will be in denver. both the president and vice president plan to visit atlanta on friday. this comes as stimulus checks have already begun hitting some bank accounts. the first payments came friday, just a day after the president signed the bill into law. you may remember the first round of checks were delayed for some americans who received them in the mail because former president donald trump had insisted that he sign them, that his name appear on that check. and treasury secretary janet yellen played down the risk of inflation as a result of this covid aid. she said the greater risk is unemployment and job loss. >> is there a risk of inflation? i think there's a small risk, and i think it's manageable. you know, prices fell a lot last spring when the pandemic surged. i expect some of those prices to move up again as the economy recovers this spring and summer, but that's, you know, a temporary movement in prices. >> and as more and more states began to ease covid restrictions, dr. anthony fauci warned yesterday that this isn't the time to declare victory against the virus. he also suggested that former president trump encourage his supporters to go get the vaccine. >> we absolutely need to avoid the urge to say, oh, everything is going great, which it is going in the right direction, but once you declare victory -- you know that metaphor that people say, if you're going for a touchdown, don't spike the ball on the 5 yard line. wait until you get into the end zone. and we're not in the end zone yet. and that's one of the issues, that when you plateau, there's always the risk of a surge. that's exactly what the europeans have experienced. >> according to a recent poll, 49% of republican men said they don't intend to get the vaccine. how much of a difference will it make if president trump leads a campaign for the people who are most devoted to him to actually go out and get the vaccine? >> chris, i think it would make all the difference in the world. he's a very widely popular person among republicans. if he came out and said, go and get vaccinated, it's really important for your health, the health of your family, and the health of the country, it seems absolutely inevitable that the vast majority of people who are his close followers would listen to him. i'm very surprised at the high percentage of republicans who say they don't want to get vaccinated. i don't understand where that's coming from. this is not a political issue. this is a public health issue. >> a very important reminder. meanwhile, biden administration officials tell nbc news the united states has no plans to share its stockpile of astrazeneca's covid vaccine with other countries, despite requests from the european union. right now, the food and drug administration is waiting for additional data on the astrazeneca vaccine before deciding whether to clear it for use in the u.s. the vaccine is already being used in europe, and officials there have asked the united states to share some of its stockpiled doses in order to help with vaccine shortages in the european union. all right, joining us now, white house reporter for politico, gabby orr. gabby, good morning to you! thank you so much for being here. let's start just generally with the politics of the vaccine rollout distribution, the sales of the stimulus. president biden and vice president harris are going to be out across the country trying to convince people that they're the ones that sent them the help that they need, that they're focused on them, and also to try and convince them to get vaccinated. what do you see as the challenges facing the biden/harris administration this week? >> well, i think the big question is how much pushback are they going to encounter from republican lawmakers as they go to different congressional districts this week and campaign across the country to really sell this bill. we've already seen that it's fairly popular in polling. there was a cbs poll released over the weekend that showed that 71% of americans do believe that the american rescue plan will help the middle class. and so, among, you know, middle class families and american workers, this is already a very popular plan, so there's not much that the president and the vice president will have to do to sell it, necessarily, but they will have to overcome questions that republicans are raising about what this will do to stimulate the economy, how much it will add to the national debt, and you know, all of the questions that still surround american vaccinations for coronavirus, which dr. fauci raised this weekend, in terms of pointing out how many republicans are resistant to the idea of actually getting a coronavirus vaccine and what that means for our country long term as we really fight to end this pandemic. >> yeah, and speaking of that, former president trump and fauci calling on him to say, hey, tell your supporters that it's really important for you to get this vaccine. if you are former president trump, i mean, why not do that? he wants credit for "operation warp speed." he wants people to believe that he had a role in this. and yet, he didn't go out and get vaccinated, himself, in public, and so far, he hasn't sent that message that fauci's asking him to send. >> well, he did at the conservative political action conference, to be fair. he told a group of his supporters there, which, obviously, is much more limited than sharing this with the american people writ large, but he did say, everybody go get your shot, about the covid vaccine. but you're right, kasie, he hasn't joined on to the ad campaign that features the former presidents' club, you know, every other living former president and their wives have been out there publicly saying it's important for americans to go get the coronavirus vaccine. and for some reason, former president trump declined to participate in that effort. so, you know, there is certainly more that he can do to convince his very loyal base and followers that this is completely healthy, that it's something that they should take care of. and yet, his remarks have been fairly limited, really only to the cpac convention just a couple of weeks ago. >> well, and gabby, you know, this ties into -- i saw the story that you posted over the weekend. you're looking at how donald trump's actual postpresidential life doesn't necessarily look like what we expected. the headline was, he's supposed to be political godzilla in exile, but that's really not what's actually happening. >> it's not. i mean, what we've seen from the post trump presidency so far, former president trump, is really somebody who's caught between being, you know, an antagonist of the republican party or cooperating with the gop and being the king maker that so many republicans have said he's quite capable of being. on the one hand, he sent those cease and desist letters to party committees a couple weeks ago, urging them not to use his name and likeness for fund-raising efforts, basically saying, i'm trying to take control of the money flow to the republican party, and you must meet my demand. and then he turned around a week later and offered up his mar-a-lago estate to host a republican donor retreat. and you know, he's been vetting potential insurgent primary candidates but also sending out conventional endorsements of incumbent republican senators. so, he is really torn between kind of two paths here. and right now, his allies, the people i'm speaking to who are surrounding him don't really know what kind of -- what his post presidency is going to look like. >> and he's got a lot of legal issues as well. politico's gabby orr, thanks so much for getting up early to be with us this morning. we really appreciate your reporting. still ahead, president biden weighs in on the harassment allegations against new york governor andrew cuomo but stops short of calling for his resignation. plus, after 20 seasons in the nfl, new orleans saints quarterback drew brees is hanging up his jersey. we're going to have those stories and a check on your weather when we come right back. . ♪ hey now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play ♪ ♪ hey now, you're a rock star, get the show on, get paid ♪ ♪ and all that glitters is gold ♪ get 5 boneless wings for $1 with any handcrafted burger. only at applebee's. my plaque psoriasis... ...the itching ...the burning. the stinging. my skin was no longer mine. my psoriatic arthritis, made my joints stiff, swollen... painful. emerge tremfyant™ with tremfya®, adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis... ...can uncover clearer skin and improve symptoms at 16 weeks. tremfya® is also approved for adults with active psoriatic arthritis. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. tremfya®. emerge tremfyant™ janssen can help you explore cost support options. ♪ the calming scent of lavender by downy infusions calm. laundry isn't done until it's done with downy. welcome back! time now for sports. the men's field of 68 ncaa tournament teams is set. gonzaga is this year's number one overall seed, no surprise, boasting a 26-0 record as the "ap" poll's wire-to-wire number one team. the bulldogs will try to become the first team in 35 years to complete a perfect season. baylor, illinois, and michigan were awarded the other top number one seeds by the selection committee yesterday. michigan and illinois are two of nine big ten teams in this year's tournament, the most of any conference. four teams that didn't make it -- louisville, colorado state, st. louis, and mississippi, have been put on standby to potentially replace any team that might withdraw by tomorrow night because of health concerns. after that, if a team pulls out, its opponent will automatically advance. the madness begins when the first four games tip off on thursday. bit of an unusual year for brackets. all right, the drew brees era in new orleans is over. the quarterback has decided to retire after 20 nfl seasons, making the announcement with the help of his four children in a video posted on social media yesterday, 15 years to the day after he signed with the saints. >> after 15 years in the saints and 20 years in the nfl -- >> our dad -- >> is finally going to retire. >> so that he can spend more time with us! >> yay! >> yay! >> that is very, very sweet. the decision comes after the 42-year-old won 9 of 12 regular season starts, missing four games this year with multiple fractured ribs and collapsed lung. a future hall of famer, brees is the league's leader in career completions and yards passing. that is a lucky bunch of kids right there. all right, golfer justin thomas is back in the winner's circle, rallying from three shots behind to close with a 4 under 68 in yesterday's final round of the players championship that caps a 14 under performance for a one-stroke tournament victory. thomas wins a tour event for the seventh straight year, his 14th career title, becoming just the fourth player to win a major, the players championship, the fedexcup and a world golf championship. congrats to him. all right, time now for the weather. let's go to meteorologist bill karins for a check on the forecast. bill, how's everybody doing out west? >> they're struggling. i mean, it's the big dig-out today, kasie. these snow totals are crazy in colorado and wyoming. we told you last week it would be a nutso weekend for snow and it has been. one area in wyoming had 52 inches of snow. now, as far as the big cities go, it wasn't like just in the mountains. cheyenne, wyoming, had 36 inches of snow, and denver, colorado, had 27 inches of snow, that being their fourth biggest snowstorm ever recorded. so, yeah, pretty crazy stuff. the snow is coming to an end, thankfully, but we're not done everywhere. we still have some snowfall in this morning in areas of minnesota, also in northern iowa. that's this area right in here. and that's where we could pick up another 3 to 4 inches during the day today. maybe a little bit in chicago and milwaukee, but really no problems. and how about the winds howling in the northeast last night and all day yesterday afternoon? the windchill this morning brutal! negative 3 in burlington, negative 3 in albany, even d.c. feels like 20. so for today, it's still cold in the northeast and we'll be warm in the southeast. kasie, we call weeks like last week where it was warm like that, we call it fool's spring, because you know it wasn't going to last. winter's returned in a vengeance. >> that's very sad. all right, bill karins, thank you very much for the update. we'll see you tomorrow. i hope it's going to be a little bit warmer later on this week. all right. still ahead here, with the record number of unaccompanied migrant teens and children crossing the southern border, president biden is sending in fema to help with the surge. we'll be back in just a moment. t you're strong. you power through chronic migraine - 15 or more headache days a month, ...each lasting 4 hours or more. botox® prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. so, if you haven't tried botox® for your chronic migraine, ...check with your doctor if botox® is right for you, and if samples are available. effects of botox® may spread hours to weeks after injection ...causing serious symptoms. alert your doctor right away, as difficulty swallowing, ...speaking, breathing, eye problems, or muscle weakness... ...can be signs of a life-threatening condition. side effects may include allergic reactions... ...neck and injection site pain... ...fatigue, and headache. don't receive botox® if there's a skin infection. tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions... ...and medications, including botulinum toxins, as these may increase the risk of serious side effects. 95% of patients may pay as little as zero dollars for botox®. so, text to see how you can save. botox® has been preventing headaches and migraines before they even start for 10 years. so, ask your doctor about botox® today. hi, i'm debra. i'm from colorado. i've been married to my high school sweetheart for 35 years. i'm a mother of four-- always busy. i was starting to feel a little foggy. just didn't feel like things were as sharp as i knew they once were. i heard about prevagen and then i started taking it about two years now. started noticing things a little sharper, a little clearer. i feel like it's kept me on my game. i'm able to remember things. i'd say give it a try. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. it all starts with an invitation... ...to experience lexus. the invitation to lexus sales event. lease the 2021 is 300 for $359 a month for 36 month's, and we'll make you're first month's payment. experience amazing. allergies don't have to be scary. spraying flonase daily stops your body and we'll make you're first month's payment. from overreacting to allergens all season long. psst psst you're good still fresh unstopables in-wash scent booster downy unstopables this is an athlete, twenty reps deep, sprinting past every leak in our softest, smoothest fabric. she's confident, protected, her strength respected. depend. the only thing stronger than us, is you. depend. ♪ and a little bit of chicken fried ♪ ♪ cold beer on a friday night ♪ ♪ a pair of jeans that fit just right ♪ ♪ and the radio up ♪ get 5 boneless wings for $1 with any handcrafted burger. only at applebee's. there are more children, about 600, 700 more children, unaccompanied children, coming over the border. this is a humanitarian challenge to all of us. what the administration has inherited is a broken system at the border, and they are working to correct that in the children's interests. we have certain responsibilities that we must honor. we have to have a system that accommodates that, and that is what the biden administration is in the process of doing. >> welcome back. that was house speaker nancy pelosi weighing in on the surge of children crossing the southern border. and the biden administration is deploying fema to the u.s./mexico border to help care for that surging numbers of unaccompanied migrant teens and children, overflowing detention cells and tent shelters. this marks another escalation in the administration's response to this growing crisis. according to reports, about 8,500 teens and children are living in shelters run by health and human services, as unaccompanied minors arrive more quickly than officials can place them with sponsors. "the new york times" notes that roughly 4,000 young people were in customs and border protection facilities last week. that is more than the roughly 2,600 children and teenagers held in such detention facilities in june of 2019. the acting commissioner of cbp said nearly 9,500 children, including teenagers, were detained at the border without a parent in february. that is up from more than 5,800 in january. all right, to this now. republican senator ron johnson is facing backlash after comments he made during an interview on conservative talk radio last week. johnson said he wasn't concerned for his safety during the deadly january 6th capitol riot but added that he might have felt threatened if the mob had looked different. watch. >> i knew, even though those thousands of people that were marching the capitol were trying to pressure people like me to vote the way they wanted me to vote, i knew those were people that love this country, that truly respect law enforcement, would never do anything to break a law, and so, i wasn't concerned. now, had the tables been turned, joe, this could get me in trouble -- had the tables been turned and president trump won the election and those were tens of thousands of black lives matter and antifa protesters, i might have been a little concerned. >> so many problems. so many problems. he's right. that's going to get him in trouble. a member of the far-right group the proud boys has been charged for allegedly pepper-spraying police. again, those people that respected law enforcement, according to ron johnson? pepper-spraying police during the riot on the capitol. doj prosecutors say christopher burrell attacked police with an earpiece and pepper spray. the justice department argued that after an analysis of photos from the day, the likely intended target of the pepper spray assault was the line of law enforcement officers present in these photographs. the photos don't show him actually spraying officers. worrell's lawyer says he plans to plead not guilty and only marched to the capitol on january 6th because of former president trump's invitation to do so. another person underscoring th