New information this morning on just how talks broke down between the White House and Senator Joe Manchin over the Build Back Better Plan.

Amid new reporting on Manchin's private counteroffer to the President, the question is, is that offer the President's best chance at striking a deal?

Plus, the Omicron variant of COVID, now the most dominant in the nation. As the U.S.

suffered its first death from the new strain, the question is, what's being done to make sure

hospitals are ready? And the NHL pauses its season and begins its holiday break early due to concerns

over COVID. The question is, what's the league's plan moving forward

and will other sports have to do the same? It's way too early for this.

Good morning and welcome to way too early, the show that could maybe use a holiday pause.

I'm Jonathan Lemire on this Tuesday, December 21st. We'll start with the news.

Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia is speaking out about why he rejected the president's $2 trillion buildback better plan.

In a radio interview back in his home state,

Mansions said Democrats never came around to his position. They figure, surely to God, we can move

one person. Surely we can badger and beat one person up. Surely we can get enough protesters

to make that person uncomfortable enough. They'll just say, okay, I'll vote for anything, just quit.

Well, guess what?

I'm from West Virginia.

I'm not from where they're from, and they can just beat the living crap out of people and think they'll be submissive.

Three sources tell NBC News that in recent months, Manchin had told Democratic senators in private conversations

that he was concerned parents would use their child tax credit payments, a key part of this legislation, to buy drugs.

Two sources say Manchin also raised concerns during negotiations over paid time off, telling colleagues he feared West Virginians would use the time to go deer hunting.

A spokesman for Senator Manschin said the Senator, quote, has made clear he supports the child tax credit and believes the money should be targeted to those who need it most.

He has also expressed support for a paid leave program that has a dedicated sustainable funding mechanism.

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