President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner "spoke by phone after exchanging new proposals to avert the 'fiscal cliff' as negotiations intensified ahead of the end-of-year deadline," Reuters reports. "The conversation and exchange of counteroffers over the last two days are the latest sign of possible progress in efforts to avert the automatic steep tax hikes and spending cuts set for January 1 unless Congress intervenes." Meanwhile, the the Wall Street Journal says the White House has told Republicans "it would include an overhaul of the corporate-tax code as part of any deal to reduce the deficit, people familiar with the talks said, putting a major priority for business groups on the table as part of the intensifying negotiations."