Stocks are falling after congressional leaders failed to agree on a deal to raise the nation's debt limit to avoid default. At the opening bell today, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 101 points, or 0.8%, to 12,575. The Standard & Poor's 500 was down 12, or 0.9%, at 1,332. The Nasdaq composite was down 1%, at 2,829. Lawmakers hoped to reach a compromise yesterday, but those talks stalled. (More Wall Street stories.)