Emily King owns MyMilitaryTransition.com and is an expert on the transition from military to civilian leadership. She and one of her clients, Lt. Col. Jeanette Thompson, talk to Morris Jones about the importance of transition coaching.

Also, it's the end of our series honoring the finalists nominated for Service to America Medals awards. Mark Simakovsky is a finalist in the Call to Service category. The awards will be presented on September 15.

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A new report from the Partnership for Public Service and American University’s Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation ranks 290 federal agencies and organizations based on a survey of 263,000 federal employees.

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Philip Stewart is back in for Morris Jones and talking with Politico reporter James Hohmann and Washington Post's Ed O'Keefe.

James previews President Barack Obama's speech on Iraq.

Ed discusses Agent Orange and why it's now easier for veterans to get compensation for their health problems from exposure to it.

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It's a packed studio today. Philip Stewart, in for Morris Jones, sits down with Real Clear Politics White House correspondent Scott Conroy, Capitol News Connection senior correspondent Elizabeth Wynne Johnson and Politico reporter James Hohmann.

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Happy Friday!

People say New York is the city that never sleeps, but I think after this week, they may want to say that about Washington D.C.

While the President is spending 10 days in Martha's Vineyard, his critics aren't taking much of a vacation criticizing the White House and its economic policies. The Obama administration released its Race for the Top winners, trying to talk to the country about education, but the conversation kept going back to the other 'e' word: the economy. The fears coming from the American people only got worse, as the week went on. We (the media) reported more bad economic news: the housing crisis, the unemployment problem and Wall Street was like a rollercoaster, hanging on each word.

For tonight's panel, we're breaking down the biggest stories of the week regarding the rough economy. We'll talk about the jabs being thrown on both sides, especially the fight between House Minority Leader John Boehner vs. Vice President Joe Biden. While President Obama has been away, it seems Mr. Biden has been the face of the administration, picking up the pieces.

We'll also talk about the stem cell research decision and the Justice Department's appeal process.

Also, we had some interesting primary showdowns this past week, including the Republican U.S. Senate primary in Arizona where Sen. John McCain didn't fall into the incumbent trap. But one of the most interesting races is the GOP Senate showdown in Alaska. Former Gov. Sarah Palin backed Tea Party favorite Joe Miller against her longtime rival Sen. Lisa Murkowski. This isn't politics as usual; this rivalry goes back awhile. 

Joining us tonight: 

James Hohmann, National Political Reporter for POLITICO 

Scott Conroy, Co-Author of "Sarah from Alaska"

See you tonight at 8pm! 

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Philip Stewart, filling in for Morris Jones, talks to Politico's Gordon Lubold about what the Pentagon is calling the most serious cybersecurity breach ever.

John Gilroy, Director of Business Development at Solutions Developers, Inc. and host of "Federal Tech Talk" on Federal News Radio, previews "Power IT Down" Day (today August 27).

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Ok, I'll admit it. I'm a technology junkie. I don't have a land line so my cell phone is basically my lifeline. It's my alarm clock, my connection to the outside world and I even use it to navigate when I get lost in the car (which is frequently). So, if you asked me to power it down for a day, I'd politely and calmly smile and tell you, heck no!

But that's just the challenge presented to agencies tomorrow for Power IT Down Day (get it? IT as in information technology). It's the day where you're supposed to shut down those computers, printers, and other technology that help your day run smoother all to reduce energy consumption. 

All joking aside, this is a huge issue. Just last month, the Government Accountability Office issued a report saying the federal government is the nation’s largest energy consumer. But each little step helps; just last year, about 5,600 individuals pledged to power down their IT equipment, which led to more than 73,000 kilowatt hours saved and enough energy savings to power 77 American homes for a month.

I can't necessarily power down my computer today, only because I have to write the newscast, but don't try to reach me on my cell phone. It's off... at least for a few hours. 

Also on the show today, Congress might be off campaigning for their jobs, but while the House and Senate have been away it's the DOD making headlines.

The Pentagon just confirmed what its calling the most serious cybersecurity breach ever. It happened back in 2008 in the Middle East and apparently the foreign spy had a flash drive. We'll sit down with Politico's Gordon Lubold to talk about this, the revamped policy for counterintelligence in cyberspace and the new suicide prevention plan for the military. He knows all things defense, so if there's anything else you're curious about, shoot me an email and let me know. You can find me at rschatz@tbd.com or send me a tweet at @CapitalInsider.

See you tonight at 8pm.

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D.C. Congresswoman and chair of the House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Eleanor Holmes Norton discusses her concerns about the alleged safety violations and working conditions at the Capitol Vistor Center.

Morris also speaks with Service to America Medals finalist Robert Harris. He's the deputy legal adviser with the State Department and is a finalist in the National Security and International Affairs category.

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Dr. Angela Drake from Dynamic Research Corporation discusses how she's helping veterans overcome war injuries.

John Fernandez, the Assistant Secretary for Economic Development at the Department of Commerce, speaks about teaming up with NASA on The President's Task Force on Space Industry Workforce and Economic Development.

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If you want to see a space shuttle launch from Cape Canaveral, you only have two chances left.

Whether you like it or not, in a few years, we're not flying to the International Space Station anymore. Instead the President wants our missions to focus on Mars and let private contractors handle the other stuff. 

So what does that mean for those core states that rely on NASA to stay afloat? They need help from the federal government.

The Obama administration has set up The President's Task Force on Space Industry Workforce and Economic Development. Yes, it's a snazzy title, but it's also quite the concept. The Commerce Department and NASA have teamed up to help develop of plan for what happens after the space shuttles are grounded for good.

We have someone from Commerce talking to us about how to invest $40 million (yes, you read that right!) in transition assistance. It's coming fom the federal government and I want to hear from you. How do you think it should be spent? Do you think the White House has the right idea focusing on mars instead of the ISS? Is $40 million enough? Send me an email at rschatz@tbd.com or tweet us at @CapitalInsider.

We also have a great guest on veterans' affairs. A company called Dynamic Research Corporation is developing some new technology to help veterans who are transitioning back into civilian life.

They specialize in traumatic brain injuries and psychological health for current military members and veterans.

She'll join us on tonight's show to talk about some of the issues veterans are dealing with and how to handle them.

See you tonight!

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We're back on "pork patrol" with David E. Williams, Vice President of Policy for Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW). This time, we're focusing on spending at the Department of Defense.

Also, The Washington Post's Federal Diary columnist Joe Davidson discusses a class action suit against the Census Bureau.

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Today, the name of our show really comes into play. Of course, every day we talk about issues on Capitol Hill like the budget, what each agency is doing and how it affects your paycheck. But today, we're talking capital - as in money - because we have David Williams talking about all things DOD.

There are a few proposals that could change the way the Defense Department is run and how it spends its money. That tanker deal with the U.S. Army is up in the air, even though it has a supposed deadline of November. Plus, Secretary Gates may retire soon and that could change how the DOD spends its cash.

Another money issue has to do with the Census. They're getting hit with a class-action suit, accused of being biased about its job screening process.

We'll see you at 8pm tonight, but don't forget to check out Friday's show. It was our first "Capital Insider" panel and we covered the Defense Department and more.

We were lucky enough to have Politico, Congressional Quarterly and Washington Business Journal to tell us about what those proposals mean for the contractor corridor, DOD employees and civilian contractors. We also talked about what that troop withdrawal really means for U.S. troops and how it'll affect the war in Afghanistan. We covered a lot so if you didn't get to watch or DVR it, watch the clips online.

As always, send me your thoughts on anything we cover, or should be covering. It's rschatz@tbd.com or tweet us at @CapitalInsider.

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Congressional Quarterly Senior Defense Reporter John Donnelly, Politico Defense Reporter Gordon Lubold and Washington Business Journal Reporter Bill Flook discuss the Department of Defense's major cash cuts, among other topics...

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FedSources Chief Knowledge Officer Ray Bjorklund discusses how much federal agencies have left to spend before the fiscal year ends on September 30th.

Strategists Jack Burkman, a Republican, and Julian Epstein, a Democrat, talk about all the issues that the two parties don't seem to agree on.

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I've decided to call today thinking Thursday because our two guests are sure to make your mind work.

We've snagged strategists Jack Burkman, a Republican, and Julian Epstein, a Democrat, to talk about all the issues that the two parties don't seem to agree on. Of course, if you want to know their opinions about a certain issue, shoot me an email at rschatz@tbd.com or send us a tweet @CapitalInsider. So far, the NYC mosque is on the list; I'm sure the president's low approval ratings over the economy will come up and we'll see what else is cooking today.

If politics isn't your thing, we'll talk about a report on how much federal agencies will spend before the fiscal year is over. That clock is ticking, of course because feds only have until September 30th, so we're going to find out where the money is going this year and how it compares to last year.

We'll see you at 8 tonight, but I'm on Twitter all day @CapitalInsider.

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"Closing the Gap: Seven Obstacles to a First-Class Federal Workforce" -- that's the new report from the Partnership for Public Service. Vice President for Policy John Palguta explains...

Also, Federal Times reporter Stephen Losey dives into the federal pay gap debate.

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Have you ever thought, "Gosh, my boss is an idiot?" You don't have to answer if you're reading this with your higher-up. But anyone who has someone working over them has definitely believed they know what would make the office run better. We have results from a new study to make your office run smoother; you can even take these ideas and claim them as your own. 

Tonight the Partnership for Public Service's Vice President for Policy is joining us to talk about its new study called "Closing the Gap: Seven Obstacles to a First-Class Federal Workforce". You can find out what's really making your agency not live up to its potential. Just think, maybe if you mention some of these issues, you can look proactive in that next staff meeting.

Also tonight:

The federal government is constantly changing, hopefully for the better. On this edition of White House Wednesday, we'll talk about how feds have reformed hiring, especially at HUD. We're lucky enough to have Stephen Losey from The Federal Times join us tonight. We may also get to the pay-for-performance issue at the Pentagon. Stephen's a great resource and he'll be joining us once a month on "Capital Insider" to make sure you're getting all your federal news without reading every newspaper in town.

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The District of Columbia is offering a tax amnesty from August 2 to September 30, 2010. The Deputy Chief Financial Officer for the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue gives us the details.

Jay Yakeley from Abeo Technical Solutions discusses a new security tool being used everywhere from military, government, airports and federal agencies.

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I don't work for the DOD, but if I did, I'd definitely be curious about what's going to happen in the coming months.

In a week's time, Secretary Gates announced cuts coming from the Pentagon followed by the release of a magazine article in which he said he may leave the department next year. 

The inside the Beltway parlor game has begun: Who will replace him? Of course, Secretary of State's Hillary Clinton's name has been thrown into the mix.

It made me think, are we (journalists) going to spend the coming months speculating about who will fill Gates' shoes?

I think there's a certain vulnerability of sorts that can happen when an official like that decides they're taking themselves out of the game. Maybe it's because the end of their service is closer, but sometimes they can be more honest and transparent. So is it our job to sort of explore that honesty?

While Gates' pending departure will be fodder for Pentagon-watchers and pundits, it's the budget cuts that have the most immediate news value.

And I'm sure all these changes are much more disconcerting for people who work in the DOD. I'd love to hear from you about what stories you'd like to hear about through all these changes. You know where to find us on twitter or send me an email rschatz@tbd.com.

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Tonight, we're talking taxes and technology.

The Deputy Chief Financial Officer for the District of Columbia's Office of Tax and Revenue will join us to talk about D.C.'s tax amnesty.

Did you know now through the end of September you can get penalties and fees waived for overdue taxes? We'll ge the details about who's eligible and how to apply.

Also, a special Dateline Defense report:

There are new security cameras that can let you watch and monitor 20 different screens at one time This new tool is used everywhere from military, government, airports and federal agencies.

We'll talk about this new technology, how you could use it in your job and what it can do beyond regular security cameras.

Don't forget you can send us comments about any story you see on the show or any big federal news or business item. We're on twitter at @CapitalInsider and we have a new Facebook fan page. Also, you can always send me an email: it's rschatz@tbd.com.

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