Inflation remains flat for second straight month

Prices for consumer items not including food and energy remained flat for a second straight month in December, and overall cost of living dropped 0.7 percent, according to federal data released Friday. In all of 2008, Americans paid just 0.1 percent more for goods and services, the lowest annual increase since 1954. The decline was driven largely by a 75 percent decline in oil prices from their July peak, which has brought down prices for a variety of services.