MINYANVILLE ORIGINAL US equities continued their upwards progress in mid-Tuesday trading amid renewed optimism that a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff could be reached in time.   Citing sources close to the matter the Wall Street Journal reported that budget negotiations between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner have made progress in the past few days. The paper notes that the fact that both parties have kept mum on the details of the talks indicates real progress is being made.   Investors are also optimistic after Bloomberg reported that economists expect the Federal Reserve to announce a ...