With more than two decades of rise and grind journalistic experience between them, Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman are the founders of Punchbowl News, a news community focused on power, people, and politics in Washington. Named after the Secret Service’s nickname for the Capitol, the company covers the congressional leadership and the White House, and tracks the industries and companies trying to influence them.

Palmer and Sherman are New York Times best-selling authors who have been writing about Congress and the politics of governing for more than a decade. From 2016 to 2020, they were the co-authors of the top-rated POLITICO Playbook newsletter, where they chronicled President Donald Trump’s first term, and his relationship with top Congressional leaders. Under their leadership, the Playbook franchise more than doubled in revenue and tripled its readership. They also created a widely acclaimed daily podcast, afternoon newsletter and event series where they interviewed top political and business leaders across the country about pressing issues of the day.

In 2019, Palmer and Sherman authored The Hill to Die On: The Battle for Congress and the future of Trump's America, which was the inside story of Congress in the first two years of Donald Trump's presidency. An instant New York Times and national bestseller, Trevor Noah of The Daily Show said the book turned “Congress into a Game of Thrones book.”

In speeches, the two offer a candid analysis filled with colorful anecdotes about what’s driving politics and policy inside the nation’s capital. They have a unique perspective that comes from more than a decade of covering Congress, political campaigns, the White House, and working in the Washington press corp. With incomparable access to the highest offices in Washington, Palmer and Sherman are experts on the policies, players, and personalities driving politics today. They have appeared at the World Economic Forum, the Milken Institute Global Forum, UN General Assembly, Aspen Ideas Festival, Texas Tribune Festival, and SXSW. 

Anna Palmer joined POLITICO in 2011 and was its senior Washington correspondent. She covered congressional leadership, presidential campaigns and the lobbying industry. Palmer also led Women Rule, a nation-leading platform aimed at expanding leadership opportunities for women and hosted the critically-acclaimed Women Rule podcast. She has also worked at Legal Times and Roll Call, breaking national stories on the business of Washington. A native of North Dakota, She's a frequent political commentator on CNN, Fox News and NBC. She graduated from St. Olaf College.

Jake Sherman joined POLITICO in 2009 and covered Congressional leadership, and the battle for power on Capitol Hill. He has covered the rise and fall of four speakers of the House, and is viewed as a leading authority on the politics of governing. Sherman is a political contributor to MSNBC and NBC News, and appears on television from the Capitol almost daily. Sherman is a graduate of the George Washington University and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.

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