WASHINGTON AP-Consumer prices in August posted the first monthly decline in nearly two years as Americans finally get a break from surging energy prices.

The Labor Department reported Tuesday that consumer prices edged down 0.1 percent last month, a significant improvement from a 1.1 percent price spike in June and a 0.8 percent rise in July. The cost of gasoline and other fuels have plunged, reflecting big drops in crude oil prices.