Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co have reached a preliminary agreement to form a joint venture to operate the U.S. firm's chipmaking facilities, the Information reported on Thursday, citing two people involved in the discussions. White House and Commerce department officials have been pressing TSMC and Intel to strike a deal to resolve the long-running crisis at Intel, one of the most iconic U.S. technology firms, the report said. Intel and TSMC declined to comment, while White