Robert Benincasa http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=139680683&ft=1&f=139680683 Robert Benincasa is a computer-assisted reporting producer in NPR's Investigations Unit. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:37:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Robert Benincasa http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=139680683&ft=1&f=139680683 A Baseball School For Big League Dreamers For more than a century, countless Americans have dreamed of playing Major League Baseball. Few ever make it, but there is a place in Bradenton, Fla., that nurtures those dreams. IMG Academies takes students as young as 11 and mixes intense baseball training with an academic education. Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:37:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2012/08/15/156191542/a-baseball-school-for-big-league-dreamers?ft=1&f=139680683 http://www.npr.org/2012/08/15/156191542/a-baseball-school-for-big-league-dreamers?ft=1&f=139680683 For more than a century, countless Americans have dreamed of playing Major League Baseball. Few ever make it, but there is a place in Bradenton, Fla., that nurtures those dreams. IMG Academies takes students as young as 11 and mixes intense baseball training with an academic education.

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]]> Where Dollars Are Born A behind-the-scenes tour of the factory where paper for U.S. currency has been made since 1879. Wed, 23 May 2012 14:21:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/05/23/153272803/where-dollars-are-born?ft=1&f=139680683 http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/05/23/153272803/where-dollars-are-born?ft=1&f=139680683 A behind-the-scenes tour of the factory where paper for U.S. currency has been made since 1879.

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]]> Should We Kill The Dollar Bill? Last month, a Washington, D.C. subway station was plastered with posters of giant dollar bills. One of them said: "Tell Congress to stop wasting time trying to eliminate the dollar bill." The $70,000 ad blitz was part of a small lobbying war over the fate of the dollar bill. Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:47:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/04/19/150976150/should-we-kill-the-dollar-bill?ft=1&f=139680683 http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/04/19/150976150/should-we-kill-the-dollar-bill?ft=1&f=139680683 Last month, a Washington, D.C. subway station was plastered with posters of giant dollar bills. One of them said: "Tell Congress to stop wasting time trying to eliminate the dollar bill." The $70,000 ad blitz was part of a small lobbying war over the fate of the dollar bill.

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]]> Tracking High-Speed Internet In Your Neighborhood How wired are the homes in your neighborhood compared with ones across town? An interactive map released today from American University's Investigative Reporting Workshop helps answer that question. Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:19:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/03/23/149215373/tracking-high-speed-internet-in-your-neighborhood?ft=1&f=139680683 http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/03/23/149215373/tracking-high-speed-internet-in-your-neighborhood?ft=1&f=139680683 How wired are the homes in your neighborhood compared with ones across town? An interactive map released today from American University's Investigative Reporting Workshop helps answer that question.

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]]> Romney Leads Gingrich In Money; Obama Bests Both Newt Gingrich had his best fundraising of the campaign in the final months of last year — but so did rival Mitt Romney, whose disclosure reports showed he raised more than twice as much. As for Obama, his campaign showed that incumbency still has its advantages. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/2012/02/01/146182332/romney-leads-gingrich-in-money-obama-bests-both?ft=1&f=139680683 http://www.npr.org/2012/02/01/146182332/romney-leads-gingrich-in-money-obama-bests-both?ft=1&f=139680683 Newt Gingrich had his best fundraising of the campaign in the final months of last year — but so did rival Mitt Romney, whose disclosure reports showed he raised more than twice as much. As for Obama, his campaign showed that incumbency still has its advantages.

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]]> White House Kills Dollar Coin Program More than 1 billion coins are sitting unwanted in government vaults. Ending the program will save an estimated $50 million a year. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:09:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/12/14/143648506/white-house-kills-dollar-coin-program?ft=1&f=139680683 http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/12/14/143648506/white-house-kills-dollar-coin-program?ft=1&f=139680683 More than 1 billion coins are sitting unwanted in government vaults. Ending the program will save an estimated $50 million a year.

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]]> Three Hidden Weaknesses In Rick Perry's Fundraising Numbers Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the GOP presidential race Aug. 13, and went on to raise $17.2 million in the remaining 49 days of the quarter. These fat numbers put Perry at the front of the GOP money race. But when we dissected Perry's FEC report, we found three hidden weaknesses. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:05:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/10/17/141438785/three-hidden-weaknesses-in-rick-perrys-fundraising-numbers?ft=1&f=139680683 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/10/17/141438785/three-hidden-weaknesses-in-rick-perrys-fundraising-numbers?ft=1&f=139680683 Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the GOP presidential race Aug. 13, and went on to raise $17.2 million in the remaining 49 days of the quarter. These fat numbers put Perry at the front of the GOP money race. But when we dissected Perry's FEC report, we found three hidden weaknesses.

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]]> Interactive: 2012 Campaign Cash, Week By Week An NPR analysis of contributions week by week found that itemized contributions to Texas Gov. Rick Perry dropped 60 percent during the week following his first appearance in a GOP presidential debate, on Sept. 7. That same week, Romney's itemized contributions went up 50 percent. Compare the candidates' weekly fundraising totals in an interactive graphic. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:37:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2011/10/17/141425028/interactive-2012-campaign-cash-week-by-week?ft=1&f=139680683 http://www.npr.org/2011/10/17/141425028/interactive-2012-campaign-cash-week-by-week?ft=1&f=139680683 An NPR analysis of contributions week by week found that itemized contributions to Texas Gov. Rick Perry dropped 60 percent during the week following his first appearance in a GOP presidential debate, on Sept. 7. That same week, Romney's itemized contributions went up 50 percent. Compare the candidates' weekly fundraising totals in an interactive graphic.

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