 Crude oil futures prices closed higher today, oil up 84 cents a barrel to 81.74 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. Support for NPR comes from NPR stations. Other contributors include the estate of Joan B. Kroc, whose bequest serves as an enduring investment in the future of public radio and seeks to help NPR be the model for high-quality journalism in the 21st century. This is NPR.