News Jurnalistik

No deal in sight as shutdown approaches third week





Washington (CNN) -- The stakes of the stalemate are high -- and climbing.



The partial government shutdown entered its 14th day Monday, just three days before the U.S. government bumps up against its projected borrowing limit.

Talks both on ending the shutdown and on avoiding the debt ceiling have shifted to the Senate, as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, along with other top senators, began discussions this weekend.

The Senate reconvened Sunday afternoon, with Reid saying he would do "everything I can throughout the day" to reach some sort of bargain with the chamber's Republican minority.

Analysis: A way to re-open government

But a source familiar with the ongoing Senate discussions expressed doubt that any significant progress would be made Sunday evening. And the Senate adjourned shortly before 5 p.m. ET, showing no signs of such progress.

Still, Reid struck a positive note as he spoke on the Senate floor.

"I've had a productive conversation with the Republican leader this afternoon. Our discussions were substantive and we'll continue those discussions. I'm optimistic about the prospects for a positive conclusion," he said.

The Senate will meet again Monday at 2 p.m. ET.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said earlier that a bipartisan group of senators was still trying to hash out a plan acceptable to both sides.

"We had 12 people meet yesterday, but just last night I had two more Democrats and a Republican contact me to offer suggestions and say they want to be part of our group," she said on CNN's State of the Union.

"It's taken far too long. We never should be in this situation," she added. "But I do believe there's going to be a resolution this week."

Likewise, Sen. Dick Durbin, the Democratic whip, said he thinks that Congress will ultimately get the job done.

"I'm a hopeful person. I believe we can do it. I hope sensible people prevail, because at this point, it's not just a shutdown and all of the damage it's caused, but if we default on our debt, it will have a dramatic impact on the savings account, on the retirement account of average Americans," Durbin, of Illinois, said on NBC's "Meet The Press."

On the other side of the aisle, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said he too thinks Congress will find a way out of the crisis before Thursday, when the United States hits the debt ceiling.

"We will have decided as a Congress that we need to avoid going over the debt limit, and we'll figure it out. And it will probably be a relatively short-term solution," Portman said.







A weekend of rejections

But while senators' comments and reports of talks were positive, the only actions over the weekend involved one "no" after another.

-- Reid said Saturday that the plan Collins was assembling is no longer on the table, because it treated reopening the government as a "concession." Reid continues to demand that any plan include a "clean" bill, one that raises the debt limit and reopens the government with no strings attached.

Government shutdown: Signs of proJack Lew: Stop being 'reckless' on debt

-- Republicans blocked a measure to extend the debt limit with no strings attached, refusing to support a procedural vote that would have brought it to the Senate floor.

-- House Republican leaders said President Barack Obama rejected their proposal for a six-week extension of the federal debt ceiling.

-- Meanwhile, Republicans objected to the prospect being floated over the weekend that the forced spending cuts known as sequestration, which have cut deeply into federal operations since March, might be rolled back under any eventual deal. Reid said that proposal "is not anything that came from us."

The Treasury Department says it will be unable to pay the government's bills unless the debt limit is increased by Thursday. The partial shutdown of government services has been in effect since October 1. And Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, told "Fox News Sunday" that the momentum that seemed to be building last week toward a resolution has stalled.

"I do think we will see our way through this, but the last 24 hours have not been good," he said.

Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, said Saturday the consequences of a failure to raise the debt limit would be dire for economies around the world. She spoke to CNN's Richard Quest at an Institute of International Finance conference in Washington.

"You know, I've just spent the last two days with representatives of about 188 countries around the world. I wouldn't say they are confident. I would say they are concerned, and they are very anxious to see this crisis resolved, because they know it's going to impact on their economy," Lagarde said.



Obama spoke by phone with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Sunday to discuss the ongoing battle over the shutdown, the White House said. The two agreed on the need for a "clean debt limit increase" and a "clean continuing resolution to open up the government and end the shutdown."

Mindful that October 17 is just days away, House Republican leaders are considering all of their options even as Republican and Democratic Senate leaders try to craft a deal on the debt ceiling, a GOP leadership aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told CNN.

One option Republican leaders are considering is sending back a measure to the Senate that would increase the debt limit; exactly what it would contain is unknown at this time.

But the aide noted that the House is able to move quicker than the Senate, and this idea could come into play. If a decision were made to pursue this idea, then it would require Democratic support to pass in the House.







Senate Democrats meet with president

Senate Democrats met with Obama for 75 minutes Saturday afternoon, and a Senate Democratic leadership aide said the party is unified.

"Democrats are willing to negotiate on anything Republicans want to discuss as soon as we reopen the government and pay our bills," said the aide.

Another Democratic source said party leaders regard Republicans as lacking a coherent position. They hope McConnell can "cut through the clutter," the source told CNN's Dana Bash.

The sources, who are familiar with the talks, spoke on the condition of anonymity so they could speak candidly.

Despite the lack of agreement, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said progress was being made.

"I think our Republican colleagues are moving in our direction with the fact that Obamacare is not a major part of the discussion anymore among most all Senate and many House Republicans," he said.

Even as he demanded a "clean" bill, Reid said he and McConnell are involved in "cordial" and "preliminary" discussions.

"I hope that our talking is some solace to the American people and the world," Reid said. He said McConnell had approached him. "This hasn't happened until now," Reid said.







Source : cnn.com

Investigation Jurnalistik

Investigation of dangerous medical device implants reveals most have never been tested for safety
(NaturalNews) Did you know that the vast majority of medical devices on the market today have received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) without ever having been properly safety tested? A thorough investigation by Consumer Reports has revealed that the medical device approval process is a pay-for-play sham that is putting millions of people at risk of serious injury or death.
Confirming two earlier studies that were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and the American Journal of Therapeutics (AJT) back in 2010, the Consumer Reports findings expose the FDA's complete lack of oversight of the medical device industry. Rather than require that medical device manufacturers prove the safety of medical devices prior to their approval, the FDA instead extorts user fees in exchange for the agency's seal of approval.
"For most implants and other high-risk devices brought to market, manufacturers do nothing more than file some paperwork and pay the Food and Drug Administration a user fee of roughly $4,000 to start selling a product that can rack up many millions of dollars in revenue," says Consumer Reports. "Often, the only safety 'testing' that occurs is in the bodies of unsuspecting patients."
In 1998, the FDA ruled that medical device distributors were no longer required to report adverse events, including death, to the agency, which means there is no way to know just how many people are being injured or killed by medical devices. And if that is not bad enough, the FDA is now trying to work with Congress to enact new laws that would make it even easier for medical device manufacturers to get their products to market without having to first prove their safety.
"People are being harmed who don't have to be harmed". When also considering the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled back in 2008 that medical device manufacturers could not be sued for injury or death caused by their FDA-approved products, it becomes disturbingly obvious that using medical devices or getting them implanted into your body is like playing Russian Roulette with your health

Source : naturalnews.com

Features Jurnalistik

5 Features of English Courses Learning English is a potentially advantageous and lucrative career and professional move for many people. Because English is so widely spoken across the globe and because so many business and other exchanges occur using the medium of English, it follows that candidates who are proficient and confident users of the English language are so appealing to employers.While different providers of English courses offer different English language courses, there is a range of features that prospective students should seek. In some situations, students will be combining their studies of the English language with another course, such as: Diploma of Business, and it makes sense that the two courses should be complimentary.
What are some of the most important features of English courses?1: For people that use and need to improve their use of English in the workplace, it is useful for any English course that you take to be aligned with and well matched to your area of work. For example, people who work in businesses where English is necessary are likely to have some idea of the areas in which they will most benefit from improvement. A quality English course will address and develop a person’s knowledge and skills in these areas.
2: Of course, some students will not be undertaking studies of English because they are already employed – instead, they will be seeking to improve their appeal as an employee by having successfully completed an English course. Melbourne colleges and training providers offer many such courses that are internationally respected for their ability to up-skill candidates and provide them with a solid foundation for improving their English language skills.
3: Depending on the nature of the English course that you study, it may be possible and appropriate to focus on the terminology and expression that is most important to the field in which you work or aspire to work. For example, those who work in a variety of business and corporate contexts benefit from learning English that is especially pertinent to business courses, such as: Diploma of Business. Essentially, excellent English courses will assist students to re-code the English with which they are so familiar in everyday contexts and make it suitable for application in a variety of business situations.
4: Different English courses assess students in different ways. Some courses require students to sit exams while others do not include such formal evaluation because they are shorter in duration and significantly more intensive.
However, a range of formative and summative assessment methods may be used to assess a student’s progress and achievement, depending on the course that is undertaken. Because spoken and conversational English is so vital to many people, it is not uncommon for oral communication to be assessed and a prominent feature of many English courses.5: Regardless of the English course that you choose, it is logical to expect that there will be a focus on grammar. However, in many cases, the most effective business courses take the student’s professional needs into consideration so that a focus is maintained on the structures of grammar that are of practical and frequent use.
In the event that a more general English course is undertaken, students may expect to spend more time and detail on the mechanics of grammar rather than its practical applications in different settings.Many students from all parts of the world realise that studying a quality English course presents them with highly desirable career advantages and opportunities that would not be open to them without their confident and proficient use of the English language. While different English courses vary considerably in terms of their content and delivery, there are features of English courses that are important and significant, regardless of whether they are tailored to a particular industry or sector.   Source : academia21.com

Opini jurnalistik

Gunadarma UniversityI think Gunadarma University still doesn’t have satisfied facilities and infrastructure. For example, sports facilities. In Gunadarma University, its field is used for parking area. In fact, Gunadarma’s area  is very large. It doesn’t have initiatives to make other parking area. Basketball field should be used for playing basket of course, so please distinguish between sports field and parking area.
And still many UKM which is not  going to run because Gunadarma is not concerned sports other than technology. Because, Gunadarma University  is very popular about its faculty of technology. So, it doesn’t have facilities for other activities. For example, it doesn’t have projector for learning process. It still uses OHP machine. I think it is not appropriate with their superiority in Technology  that they had.So, that is my opinion about Gunadarma University. It must be corrected again for their progress and their success.

Conversation between Tourists and Tour Guide

Conversation between Tourists and Tour guide

Me : Good morning Ladies and gentlemen,my name is Rengga. This is our lovely country, Indonesia

Tourists: Where are we going Mr. Rengga?

Me : First, we are going to Monas. Monas was made by real gold.

Tourists : When was it made?

Me :  In 1961 and recognized in 1975.

Tourists : Can we get closer?

Me : Of course. But we have to continue our tour. We are going to Kota Tua. In English, it’s called Old City maybe.

Tourists : Is there anything in there?

Me : There are Mandiri Museum, and Glodok.

Tourists : What is Glodok?

Me : Glodok is place where you can buy some CD or DVD. Looks like MP3 or movies.

Tourists : And where are we going again?

Me : The last, we are going to Tanah Bang. Maybe you call it “Brother Land”

Tourists : What is that?

Me : You can buy anything what you want to buy with low prize.

Tourists : Really??? Wow that’s amazing.

Me : But you have to be careful in there. There are many hoodlum.

Tourists : Are you sure? Wow that’s horrible.

Me : Ok, have a nice day ladies and gentlemen.

Tourists: You are welcome Mr. Rengga

Tempat Wisata di Kota Pagar Alam di Provinsi Sumatra Selatan

Provinsi Sumatra Selatan

* Kota Pagar Alam

1. Batu Gong

Batu Gong merupakan tempat wisata Pagaralam yang merupakan wisata sejarah. Batu Gong terletak di Dusun karang Dempo. Daerah ini merupakan peninggalan zaman megalitik.

2. Perkebunan Teh Lereng Dempo

Duh, jangan ditanya deh gimana indahnya pesona alam di Pagaralam. Biasanya orang yang rencana liburan ke Pagaralam pasti akan mengunjungi Perkebunan teh Lereng Dempo. Disini kita bakalan menikmati pemandangan yang indah dari hamparan kebun teh yang sangat luas. Orang-orang yang lagi memetik pucuk daun teh. Udara yang sejuk juga bakalan kamu dapetin disini.

3. Air Terjun Lematang

Nih, nggak kalah menariknya dari tempat-tempat sebelumnya. Air terjun Lematang juga bisa menjadi objek wisata kalian. Air terjun ini merupakan objek wisata yang cukup terkenal. Masih banyak lagi air terjun yang terdapat di Kota Pagaralam. Air terjun Curugh Embun, Curugh Pancur, Air terjun Tujuh Kenangan, Curugh Mangkok, dan Curugh Merak bisa menjadi pilihan kalian.

Etika Bisnis dan Kewirausahaan

1. Etika Bisnis

Etika bisnis merupakan cara untuk melakukan kegiatan bisnis, yang mencakup seluruh aspek yang berkaitan dengan individu, perusahaan dan juga masyarakat. Etika Bisnis dalam suatu perusahaan dapat membentuk nilai, norma dan perilaku karyawan serta pimpinan dalam membangun hubungan yang adil dan sehat dengan pelanggan/mitra kerja, pemegang saham, masyarakat. 
Perusahaan meyakini prinsip bisnis yang baik adalah bisnis yang beretika, yakni bisnis dengan kinerja unggul dan berkesinambungan yang dijalankan dengan mentaati kaidah-kaidah etika sejalan dengan hukum dan peraturan yang berlaku. 
Etika Bisnis dapat menjadi standar dan pedoman bagi seluruh karyawan termasuk manajemen dan menjadikannya sebagai pedoman untuk melaksanakan pekerjaan sehari-hari dengan dilandasi moral yang luhur, jujur, transparan dan sikap yang profesional.

2. 6 Tingkatan Membangun Moral 

- Percaya akan kerjasama antar sesama manusia

- Berpendidikan tinggi

- Mempunyai akhlak mulia 

- Selalu positif thinking

- Menolong sesama manusia tanpa mengharapkan imbalan

- Berperilaku baik terhadap sesama umat manusia

3. Aplikasi Standar Moral

- Standar moral berkaitan dengan persoalan yang kita anggap akan merugikan secara serius atau benar-benar akan menguntungkan manusia.
- Standar moral tidak dapat ditetapkan atau diubah oleh keputusan dewan otoritatif tertentu.
- Standar moral harus lebih diutamakan daripada nilai lain termasuk (khususnya) kepentingan diri.
- Standar moral berdasarkan pada pertimbangan yang tidak memihak.- Standar moral diasosiasikan dengan emosi tertentu dan kosa kata tertentu.
- Standar moral, dengan demikian, merupakan standar yang berkaitan dengan persoalan yang kita anggap mempunyai konsekuensi serius, didasarkan pada penalaran yang baik bukan otoritas, melampaui kepentingan diri, didasarkan pada pertimbangan yang tidak memihak, dan yang pelanggarannya diasosiasikan dengan perasaan bersalah dan malu dan dengan emosi dan kosa kata tertentu. 

4. Tanggung Jawab Moral

1. Secara moral individu, bertanggung jawab atas tindakan yang salah yang dia lakukan (atau yang
secara keliru dia lalaikan) dan atas efek-efek kerugian yang disebabkan (atau yang gagal dia cegah)
ketika itu dilakukan dengan bebas dan sadar.
2. Tanggung jawab moral sepenuhnya dihilangkan (atau dimaafkan) oleh ketidaktahuan dan
ketidakmampuan
3. Tanggung jawab moral atas kesalahan atau kerugian diringankan oleh :
• Ketidak pastian
• Kesulitan

5. Contoh Pelanggaran Etika Bisnis

- Pelanggaran etika bisnis terhadap hukum : Sebuah perusahaan X karena kondisi perusahaan yang pailit akhirnya memutuskan untuk Melakukan PHK kepada karyawannya. Namun dalam melakukan PHK itu, perusahaan sama sekali tidak memberikan pesongan sebagaimana yang diatur dalam UU No. 13/2003 tentang Ketenagakerjaan. Dalam kasus ini perusahaan x dapat dikatakan melanggar prinsip kepatuhan terhadap hukum.

- Pelanggaran etika bisnis terhadap transparansi : Sebuah Yayasan X menyelenggarakan pendidikan setingkat SMA. Pada tahun ajaran baru sekolah mengenakan biaya sebesar Rp 500.000,- kepada setiap siswa baru. Pungutan sekolah ini sama sekali tidak diinformasikan kepada mereka saat akan mendaftar, sehingga setelah diterima mau tidak mau mereka harus membayar. Disamping itu tidak ada informasi maupun penjelasan resmi tentang penggunaan uang itu kepada wali murid.Setelah didesak oleh banyak pihak, Yayasan baru memberikan informasi bahwa uang itu dipergunakan untuk pembelian seragama guru. Dalam kasus ini, pihak Yayasan dan sekolah dapat dikategorikan melanggar prinsip transparansi