Ahead of talks between congressional leaders and the White House this week, the administration is indicating that any resolution of the "fiscal cliff" is "not near the finish line, by any means," as the White House press secretary put it. On Friday, key House and Senate leaders discussed a framework plan presented by House Speaker John Boehner that Boehner said includes tax reforms and spending cuts. At stake is whether the U.S. avoids the automatic, sudden austerity shock of tax boosts and budget cuts at the dawn of the new year.