Inflation slows in May as gas prices fall

WASHINGTON (AP) — Falling energy prices cooled overall inflation in May, offering some relief to consumers who have been coping for months with high gas prices.

Consumer prices rose 0.2 percent, the smallest increase in six months, the Labor Department said. It was the first drop in energy costs in nearly a year.

Still, Americans paid more for cars, clothing and hotel rooms in May. That drove so-called "core" consumer prices, which exclude volatile food and energy, up by the most in nearly three years.

The increase in core inflation, which was higher than analysts expected, contributed to another bleak day on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled 179 …