ROBERT SIEGEL, Host: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel. MELISSA BLOCK, Host: And I'm Melissa Block. If you're looking for an illustration of the impact of high gas prices on business, look no further than today's announcement from General Motors. The automaker says it's closing four plants that assemble trucks. Demand is down sharply for SUVs and pickups. And as Detroit Public Radio's Jerome Vaughn reports, GM is betting that the time has come for more fuel-efficient vehicles. JEROME VAUGHN: General Motors released some dismal sales figures this afternoon. For the month of May, sales were down 27 percent from May a year ago. Earlier in the day, GM chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner announced a new round of plant closures. BLOCK: Today's high energy prices, along with the rapid change in auto industry sales mix, require further actions to position us for sustainable profitability and growth.