Dr. Jill Biden - part 2

Summary

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Work in Progress with Sophia Bush

Episode: Dr. Jill Biden – Part 2
Date: June 23, 2026
Host: Sophia Bush
Guest: Dr. Jill Biden

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Episode Overview

In this vibrant and deeply human conversation, Sophia Bush welcomes back First Lady Dr. Jill Biden for part two of their ongoing interview. The episode centers on Dr. Biden’s advocacy for women’s health research, the ongoing fight for gender equality, lived experiences with cancer, the emotional labor of public service, and the importance of intergenerational female relationships. Through humor, candor, and evidence-grounded urgency, Dr. Biden and Sophia unpack both landmark progress and enduring challenges for women in America.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Launch of the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research

[04:20–06:46]

• Dr. Biden was inspired to address disparities in women’s health research after a conversation with Maria Shriver, learning that nearly all health research before the mid-1990s excluded women, even using only male mice (“How can you study menopause in a male mouse?” – Dr. Jill Biden, 04:34).
• Dr. Biden recounts approaching President Joe Biden about the issue, leading to the creation of the White House Women’s Health Research Initiative. In its first year, the initiative secured $1 billion for women’s health research.
• She stresses the need for continued advocacy, especially from younger generations:

  “We have to say to the younger women, come on, take up the mantle and move forward.” (Dr. Jill Biden, 06:29)

Historical Context: Women’s Rights and Health Disparities

[06:46–09:52]

• Sophia highlights how recent women’s freedoms are in the U.S., listing milestones such as Roe v. Wade (1973), being able to lease an apartment alone (1974), access to bank loans (1988), and participation in clinical trials (1993).
• She also underlines structural inequities:

  “Only 1 to 3% of all private health care research and development dollars go to conditions that affect women. … There’s literally more of us. Everyone came from us. And we get 1% of the money.” (Sophia Bush, 09:52)

• Dr. Biden shares a personal story about gender-based pay disparity and being required to have her father co-sign for a car despite having a job (09:18–09:45).

Cancer: Personal Stories, The Moonshot, and Advocacy for Preventive Care

[11:00–15:46]

• Dr. Biden speaks about cancer’s profound impact on her family: both parents died of cancer, her sister survived lymphoma, and her son Beau died of glioblastoma.

  “As a mother, I just never, ever, ever believed that God would take him.” (Dr. Jill Biden, 12:35)

• She opens up about Joe Biden’s stage four prostate cancer—highlighting both hope in advancements (“prostate cancer, they do have a cure for it” – Dr. Biden, 13:11) and the daily challenges of metastatic disease.
• Dr. Biden’s breast cancer awareness work began in the early 1990s, including direct education in Delaware schools. She advocates regular screenings, citing pandemic-era drop-offs.

  “I think people cannot forget to go get their screenings. … You're going to be more afraid if you get that negative diagnosis like Joe got.” (Dr. Jill Biden, 15:28)

• Sophia acknowledges the Bidens’ openness with grief and health struggles as a public service:

  “You as a family have shared with our families, and you’ve made us all feel less alone in grief or illness.” (Sophia Bush, 15:51)

Grief as a Universal and Political Experience

[24:08–25:11]

• Sophia asks if sitting with grief is a form of activism.
• Dr. Biden responds that offering comfort is essential for public servants, referencing visits to families after tragedies like Uvalde, the Maui wildfires, and Surfside, FL:

  “I just think that’s part of the role of a First Lady and a President: to take care of people who are experiencing grief and loss.” (Dr. Jill Biden, 24:15)

The Catch-22 and Gendered Double Standards of Being First Lady

[25:57–28:17]

• Sophia quotes Dr. Biden’s book on the impossible double standards facing First Ladies: do “good” but don’t overreach, don’t know “too much,” but also don’t be ignorant.
• Dr. Biden agrees, detailing how she was criticized for attending even a single cabinet meeting on women’s health.
• She credits her backbone and sanity to supportive female friendships, including her own four sisters (“My poor dad, honest to God, he said even the cat is a female … But he handled it okay.” – Dr. Jill Biden, 28:08).

Women Who Inspire Dr. Jill Biden

[28:17–30:29]

• Dr. Biden calls out Billie Jean King as a recent inspiration for earning her college degree and references her love of female athletes and Title IX progress.
• She lauds young female scientists making discoveries in endometriosis and osteoporosis, while advocating for more research into post-menopausal and aging women’s health.

  “There has to be a national conversation about aging so that when something happens to you, you don’t say, ‘what the heck is this?’ … We got to start this as Americans.” (Dr. Jill Biden, 30:11)

Life, Routine, and Family

[31:37–33:32]

• Dr. Biden shares her daily life: an early riser, dog mom to two Labs (“Scout and Boo—where does it come from?” “To Kill a Mockingbird?”), regular exerciser (Barre, cycling, Pilates), constant house guest wrangler, and active participant in both her own and Joe’s routines.

Soul Cycle Diplomacy & Finding Real Connections

[39:50–41:08]

• Dr. Biden explains her practice of “Soul Cycle Diplomacy”—inviting foreign dignitaries to join her in cycling classes abroad as a way to connect on a different level:

  “It was so fun to go, because even in France … you just follow the person ahead of you. … It’s another way to connect with people that isn’t, like, stuffy.” (Dr. Jill Biden, 40:33)

Dr. Biden’s ‘Celebrity Crush’ Story

[41:36–43:12]

• Sophia teases Dr. Biden about her well-publicized admiration for Bono. Dr. Biden recounts meeting Bono backstage, joining the band in prayer, and having the night’s last song dedicated to her.

  “And then the last song of the night, he dedicated to me.” (Dr. Jill Biden, 43:12)

The Unfinished Work – Still a Work in Progress

[45:17–45:40]

• On what still feels like “a work in progress”:

  “Everything is still a work in progress. I’m not giving up. I have a lot to do—my teaching, women’s health, prevention of cancer, going into prisons, plus garden.” (Dr. Jill Biden, 45:17)

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Notable Quotes

• “How can you study menopause in a male mouse?” — Dr. Jill Biden [04:34]
• “We have to say to the younger women, come on, take up the mantle and move forward.” — Dr. Jill Biden [06:29]
• “There’s literally more of us. Everyone came from us. And we get 1% of the money. The math is not mathing.” — Sophia Bush [09:52]
• “As a mother, I just never, ever, ever believed that God would take him.” — Dr. Jill Biden [12:35] (On the loss of her son, Beau)
• “I just think that’s part of the role of a First Lady and a President: to take care of people who are experiencing grief and loss.” — Dr. Jill Biden [24:15]
• “He said, even the cat is a female!” — Dr. Jill Biden [28:08] (On growing up in a house of sisters)
• “There has to be a national conversation about aging … We got to start this as Americans.” — Dr. Jill Biden [30:11]
• “Everything is still a work in progress. I’m not giving up. … I have a lot to do.” — Dr. Jill Biden [45:17]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Topic | |----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:20 | Launch of White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research | | 06:46 | History of Women’s Legal and Health Rights in the U.S. | | 09:01 | Gender Pay Gap & Credit Access Stories | | 09:52 | Funding Disparities in Women’s Health Research | | 11:00 | Cancer Moonshot; Cancer in the Biden Family | | 14:40 | Early Breast Cancer Advocacy Work in Delaware Schools | | 24:08 | Empathy & Grief as a Public Duty | | 25:57 | The ‘Catch-22’ of Being First Lady | | 28:17 | Women Who Inspire Dr. Biden | | 30:11 | National Conversation on Aging & Menopause | | 31:37 | Dr. Biden’s Day-to-Day Life & Family | | 39:50 | “Soul Cycle Diplomacy” Explained | | 41:36 | Bono Story, Celebrity Crush, and Shared Joys | | 45:17 | What Still Feels Like a “Work in Progress” for Dr. Biden |

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Memorable, Lighthearted Moments

• Dr. Biden’s dogs are named Scout and Boo—“To Kill a Mockingbird?” “Yes!” (32:12)
• The family house is always full of grandkids and their friends, reflecting her approach to family and hospitality (33:28).
• Sophia’s favorite word: “Love,” and in Spanish, “esquierda” (left), for its “mouthfeel”—Dr. Biden just started Duolingo Spanish lessons (43:43–44:16).
• “Soul Cycle Diplomacy” and tales of cycling with foreign leaders, connecting through exercise and breaking the mold of traditional state meetings (39:50–41:08).
• The Bono story, with a backstage prayer and song dedication, demonstrating both her playfulness and appreciation for authentic connection (42:05–43:12).

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Wrap-Up: Main Takeaways

• Women’s health research is still severely underfunded, and both historical and present-day advocacy is crucial.
• Dr. Biden’s lived experiences exemplify both ongoing battles and real progress for women.
• Grief, care, and openness are not just private but can be powerful acts of public service.
• Support from female friendships and family is foundational to personal resilience and accomplishment.
• Humor and optimism endure alongside activism: Dr. Biden continues to see herself, and the work, as gloriously “in progress.”

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This episode is a testament to living as both a masterpiece and a work in progress—offering personal stories, societal challenges, and ongoing hope for women’s equality and health at every stage of life.

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

This is an iHeart podcast guaranteed human

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[Podcast Host]

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[Sophia]

Hi, everyone, it's Sophia.

[Podcast Host]

Welcome to Work in Progress. We're back for part two with Dr. B. Let's get back on stage.

[Sophia]

I know for you, women's health is a big life calling. You launched the White House initiative on women's health research. Why was that the next right thing for you as the First Lady?

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Well, you know, I was in the White House. I was grading papers. It was a Saturday, I think it was near Easter. And Maria Shriver came in, first lady of California. I'm sure you know her, and former First Lady. And so we started talking about women's health. And she said to me, jill, do you realize that all the research until the mid-1990s has been done on men? No women in those studies, no research men. So all the diagnoses we would get, all the prescription medicines were based on, on men, their physiques, their weights, et cetera. Oh, and even the mice were male mice. How can you. I mean, how can you study menopause in a male mouse?

[Sophia]

I mean, right? It's crazy.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

So anyway, so I went to Joe after Maria and I spoke, I went up to him and, you know, I said, joe, there's a big problem and we have to solve it. And he said, you're right. So, I mean, this is what I love about Joe. He took a problem and he tackled it and he found an answer. So we started the White House Women's Initiative on Health. And in one year, we put a billion dollars into funding and research for women's health. And, you know, we got to keep. Keep going. Women have to keep fighting for ourselves. We do. I mean, in all areas, which I'm sure you agree, in all the social areas, we have to keep fighting the things that have been taken away from us. We can't give up. I'm a 60s girl. A lot of you girls or women in here who were in the 60s, look what we had to fight for. Equal rights, equal pay, women's sports. How about money for women's sports? I mean, so much that we fought for and we got to an extent, but now it seems like it's rolling back. So we have to say to the younger women, come on, take up the mantle and move forward. I mean, I'm just. You can tell I'm passionate about it.

[Sophia]

Oh, I'm with you. You know, and I think it's so important that we all know these facts. I mean, ladies, we need to know, but also, like, shout out to all the guys here.

[Podcast Host]

You're here to listen to two ladies

[Sophia]

talk like you're on the right side of history. And you should know these fact. You know, you saw us through some of those fights. I am part of the first American generation of truly free women. The first. 1974. You couldn't until 1970. Well, in 1973, obviously, Roe, which they took. 1974 was when you could finally lease an apartment on your own. I believe 1988 was the first time a woman could get a bank loan by herself. And 1993 was the first time we were included in a clinical trial. And guess what, it's also the same year we could finally wear pants on the floor of Congress. 1993. Like, when you think about how it's been a hot second. And by the way, we couldn't even get the ERA ratified because by the time we got the 48th state to sign it, all the bros in the halls of government were like, took too long. We're not going to let you have it. So the idea that we've even been totally free is a ruse. But we've made just close enough to equal progress that they're panicking. And now the tradwives are on Instagram, and now they're like, women shouldn't vote. And I'm like, excuse you, we had a revolution about this. Like, what? So that feels like everybody gets a little bit of info to take home. You're welcome for your initiative. When I Saw you doing this investing work. I was so excited about it because it's been an area of importance for me. I am so lucky to be in a community of incredible women. I'm so lucky to have intergenerational friendships with incredible women who've shared their stories. And the disparities in healthcare, not just for women, but for women of color, are insane. And it only can happen because there's so little money for us in general. So just a few more things for you to take home. You're welcome.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Well, wait a minute. It was in 1974. That was about when I got my first teaching job. I'm trying to think. Anyway, I got my first teaching job. And I was telling you this anyway. I forget who I was telling, but

[Sophia]

anyway, it's been a long book tour. You're doing great.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Okay. So the same week that I was hired, I was hired in an English department. I got $7,500. My first job. A man in the same English department, same job. You know what he got? 10,000. Yes. Yes.

[Sophia]

That's crazy.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

And I went to buy a car. Guess what? They made my father's co sign.

[Podcast Host]

Yes.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Yeah. They made my father co sign for me.

[Sophia]

Yes.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

I mean, you know, here I had my own teaching job. I was so proud. And then they're saying, uh, get your father. Yeah.

[Sophia]

And that's the thing. The independence didn't matter because the policy hadn't caught up. And. And the women's health investing in particular is a. Honestly, a crisis we have to solve. Only 1 to 3% of all private health care research and development dollars go to conditions that affect women. So we're 51% of the population. There's literally more of us. Everyone came from us. And we get 1% of the money. The math is not mathing. Less than 2% of private health care investments in capital target women specific conditions, and only 5% of all overall global RD is dedicated to women's health. So when you know, you're hopefully signed up on the 5 calls app to bug your elected officials, bug them about this also and encourage them to continue the work of the Biden's healthcare initiative on women. Because we should.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

We should.

[Sophia]

We should. Now I have so many more questions. I'm looking at the timer. I'm starting to panic. Okay. We're going to be fine. I'm curious because I know out of that I got to see you guys talk about it at CGI a couple of years ago. I know the cancer moonshot initiative is so deeply personal for your Family. And I'm curious, in the years since you announced the research funding and the moonshot, are there any really exciting developments you want to share with people? Because health hardship is terrifying. And sometimes when we have good news, I feel like we should shout it from the rooftop. Yeah.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

I mean, there are a lot of advancements in cancer. Cancer has been rampant, really, in my family. Both my parents died from it. My sister had a stem cell transplant because of lymphoma and lived. She's great. And then our son Beau died of glioblastoma, which was really tough. I mean, we did everything we could. I mean, everything. The diet, I mean, going to different trials, getting him on different medicines. And, you know, it was just one of those things that I just. As a mother, I mean, I just never, ever, ever believed that, you know, God would take him. And now, I mean, there's this cruel irony with the cancer, moonshot and all that we've done for cancer and will continue to do that. My husband, you know, ended up with stuff, stage four prostate cancer, which is bad enough. But I want to tell the men here in the audience that prostate cancer, they do have a cure for it. I mean, you can be cured from that. Unfortunately for Joe, it metastasized to his bones, and that just changed the whole ball game. And so now Joe will live. I mean, his whole life will. He will live with cancer, which means that he's on really strong medicines that make him really tired and, you know, have such strong side effects. And so we keep fighting. And, you know, and there's so much that really, that we're going to continue to do. And I. You know, people cannot forget to go get their screenings. I mean, I think in Covid, everybody was scared to death to go into a hospital, a doctor's office. And so the screenings went way down. But I want you all to think about this. If you can think about all of you who should be getting like a mammogram or a dexa, you know, the bone scan, you just stick your hand in an X ray machine. It doesn't hurt or anything. Prostate cancer, breast cancer. You know, I. You may not know this, but in the early 1990s, 4.4of my friends were diagnosed with breast cancer. And I thought, oh, my God, what can I do? I have to do something. And I thought, I'm not a doctor, but, well, I am a doctor.

[Sophia]

You're a doctor.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

So I developed a program. I went into every school in the state of Delaware, and it was so long ago in Dover High School, they made the girls have a permission slip because we were saying the word breast. Honest to God, that's the truth. And anyway, we went in with breast models, and we showed women what it felt like, a lumpy breast or if you could feel something in your breast. And. And we taught them good health practices. And anyway, I did that, I think, for 20 years, and then I finally had to stop because I was second lady. But that was my beginning of work, trying to fight against awareness and prevention, which I think is really where we should be focusing is prevention with all these cancers. So think about it. Think about getting your screening if you haven't. And I know it's hard, and I know you're afraid a lot of you, but you're going to be more afraid if you get that negative diagnosis like Joe got. So.

[Sophia]

Yeah, well, we all wish him very well.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

I know.

[Sophia]

Please tell him Boston said happy anniversary and thank you. I mean, frankly, we're very lucky that he lent you to us on your anniversary. It's like we got a gift. So I hope we can send some. Some real positivity. And I think it's a really amazing thing that you've chosen not only to do the advocacy work, but so many of these moments that are so devastating for families as you've shared, you as a family, have shared with our families, and you've made us all feel less alone in grief or illness. And I'm guessing I can speak for everyone in the room in this moment when I say thank you. Because to know you're not alone in that, that also helps save people.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Well, everybody's touched by cancer. I bet every person in this auditorium has been touched by cancer by someone they love or themselves.

[Podcast Host]

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[Pharmaceutical Advertiser]

Zolairomalizumab is proven to significantly reduce allergic reactions if a food allergy accident happens. Xolair 150mg is a prescription medication used to treat food allergy in people 1 year of age and older. To reduce allergic reactions due to accidental exposure to one or more foods while taking Xolair, you should continue to avoid all foods to which you are allergic. Don't use if you are allergic to Xolair. Xolair may cause a severe life threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Tell your doctor if you have ever had anaphylaxis. Get help right away if you have trouble breathing or if you have swelling of your throat or tongue. Xolair should not be used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. Xolair is for maintenance use to reduce allergic reactions including anaphylaxis while avoiding food allergens. Serious side effects such as cancer, fever, muscle aches and rash, parasitic infection, or heart and circulation problems have been reported. Please see xolair.com for full prescribing information. Ask an allergist about Xolair this is an advertisement for Xolair paid for by Genentech and Novartis.

[Podcast Host]

Oh friends, I'm just so happy that

[Sophia]

it's getting warm out.

[Podcast Host]

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[Sophia]

I think there's something about the presence with which and the frankness with which you speak about it, though, that not everybody does. And I want to give you your flowers for that. You really, you know, you've chosen to model not just the good. And you talk in the book about how sometimes the job of a first lady is to sit with people in grief, whether that is a family who's lost someone to cancer or mothers who've lost their sons in Ukraine. I mean, you've made it universal in a way. When a lot of people want to put it on the bottom shelf and

[Podcast Host]

not talk about it.

[Sophia]

Do you see the willingness to sit with grief as a form of activism also?

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Well, I never thought of it that way, but definitely for me, and I'll just speak for myself, as a former first Lady, I felt that when Americans, something tragic had happened, like Uvalde, horrible Maui, the fires in Maui, Surfside in Florida. I mean, there were so many times when Joe and I would go and sit with families and just talk to them and empathize about grief. And I just think that's part of the role of a first lady and a president to take care of people who are experiencing grief and loss. And,

[Sophia]

Well, it's just such a gorgeous act of compassion. We miss it. I miss compassion so much. You know, you have spent 50 years together. You share wonderful pieces of your relationship. I love that he had to propose five times. I'm like, good for you, Dr. B. But you also share about your female family friendships. You know, you talk about your sisterhood. You also talk about the peculiar pressure placed on women in the first place, how you write in the book about this. And I think most women, while we've never been the first lady, we get this part. You say that being the first lady could feel like a catch 22 because

[Podcast Host]

you're encouraged to use your platform to

[Sophia]

do good but not be too aggressive in pursuing policy goals lest you be seen as overreaching. And if you knew too little about

[Podcast Host]

what you were talking about or maybe pretended to, to not be overreaching, I Don't know.

[Sophia]

Then you're like some kind of embarrassment. So the balancing act, you know, your story is specific, but the balancing act I think is very universal for us. How have you figured out how to do that? And are your female friendships kind of the key?

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Well, I think they probably are the key. And I think every first lady has done the role a different way. I mean, if you remember, Rosalynn Carter sat in on cabinet meetings. And I don't remember that she was criticized for that. It was just like that was part of their partnership. And so she did. God forbid I should sit in on a cabinet meeting because then it would look. I mean, I was criticized. I went to one in four years that I walked in, in to talk about women's health for like 10 minutes. And so it's true. You can't know too much or know too little or be aggressive or not aggressive enough. So it is a fine line. And, you know, it's nice to. I mean, I always felt like so supported by really the women in my friendships. I mean, they've meant the world to me. Of course, as you know, I have four sisters. But the cool thing is like I've been supported like my friends Marianne and her sister in law is here, or Annie and her parents are here. People that are just have been. And people in my staff are in this audience who work for me. Like, yeah, bp. I mean, you know, and I've always felt that support. And it's a really important part of my life. And I don't know whether it came it stems from growing up with four sisters and being so close to my mother and my grandmother's. I mean, it just was. I mean, my poor dad, honest to God, he said even the cat is a female. But he felt overwhelmed. But, but he handled it okay. He could hold his own.

[Sophia]

I love it when you think about inspirational women. Who inspires you these days?

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Oh my gosh, there are so many inspirational women today. For instance, I just wrote a note to Billie Jean King, greatest. Does anybody know why she got her college degree?

[Podcast Host]

Yes.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

And she got. It was in the paper. You must have missed it. But I thought good for you. I mean, remember that tennis match and she was the winner.

[Sophia]

I mean, I love 1973.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Yes. I love female athletes and what they're doing because I feel like, you know, having gone through the title nine and money for women's sports, that women's sports is finally coming into its own. And I love that. So they inspire me. And the women, I think women in health research, I Mean, these young scientists that are making all these discoveries for endometriosis, osteoporosis. I mean, some of you in here are maybe a little bit older. And I know now this new hot topic, no pun intended, is menopause. So now we're centering on that. But I have to tell you, I mean, I'm past that. I'm like, this next wave. And I told my daughter I'm in my last quarter, and she's like, mommy, don't say that. But anyway, there are all these women post menopause who are like, is this normal? I mean, the things that we are now experiencing in our 60s and our 70s and our 80s, like, we don't have answers.

[Sophia]

We don't have answers because the mice are men.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Yes.

[Sophia]

Hello.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

So there has to be a national conversation about aging so that when something happens to you or your spouse, you don't say, what the heck is this? That we have facts and we know where we're going. We got to start this as Americans.

[Sophia]

We do.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Yeah.

[Sophia]

Especially when you think about, you know, this notion that this is a country built on a dream. Right. The American dream doesn't stop because you retire.

[Podcast Host]

That should be your best life.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

If you get to retire, you should

[Sophia]

be, like, living it up. I want you to be having a time, and you're right. You shouldn't be looking around going, what's happening to me? And does anyone care? Yeah. You know, it should shift.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Yeah, it should.

[Sophia]

I have a couple of just, like, quick little fun questions for the last few minutes, if I may. You're not in the fishbowl anymore, but there are still lots of people with the badges around.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Thank God for them. Honest to God, thank God. Oh, they're so wonderful. They're so great.

[Sophia]

I had to run back into my dressing room to grab something, and, like, four dudes turned. I was like, it's just me just hobgobbling around. I just needed my papers. Please don't tackle me.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Honestly, they're so kind. I just can't thank them enough. All of them. Thank you. Thank you, Secret Service.

[Sophia]

Pretty incredible team you have.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Yeah.

[Sophia]

What does a typical day look like now? Like, do you open windows? How often do you go for a walk?

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Actually, we do have bulletproof proof glass in the back of our house. Because now we have to. Right. Because there's, like, a lot of craziness.

[Sophia]

Oh, yeah.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

But a typical day, I'm an early riser. I love the morning, and so I get up early, and we have two new black lab puppies okay, so here's a quiz question. Their names are Scout and Boo. Where does it come from?

[Sophia]

To Kill a Mockingbird?

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Yes. Good. Some of you are readers. I love that. So anyway, so I make sure the dogs and Willow are all fed and taken care of, and then I just sit, like, you know, just sit and have quiet and just appreciate, really, my life and what I've been given and the opportunities. And then I go to exercise every morning, and I went this morning to bar and if you know, bar three. Wow. So I cycle. I do barre, Pilates, you know, I'm a big exerciser. And then I have, like, a ton of things to do between women's health and writing and, you know, Joe's writing his book. He's always home. I always have to make him breakfast. He's a terrible cook. So the day is full. Usually my kids, my grandkids, are in and out of the house. They're bringing their friends. I mean, half the time I don't even know who's sleeping in my house because they just come with their friends. And that's the way I want it. That's the way it's always been, and everybody's welcome. And so, anyway, that's my life.

[Sophia]

I love that. I think a full house is kind of a dream come true.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Yeah.

[Sophia]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Friends, you know, we like to prioritize our health over here at Work in Progress, and we like to do that grounded in science. We got so much amazing feedback from you all when we had a medical expert on the show talking about allergies, allergic reactions, how to be prepared. Whether you're the person with allergies like me or you are a caregiver for someone or the parent of a kid who has them. We all need as much information about this stuff as possible so we can stay safe. And that's why I'm excited about our new friends at Nephi. This is for parents or caregivers of a child that experiences allergic reactions from food, medicine, insect, or other allergy triggers. Now, listen, I know this time of year can feel like a lot. There's summer activities and camp and travel and getting ready for back to school. You are doing everything to make sure your child is safe wherever they are. You're educating coaches and teachers and other parents on your child's allergies, scheduling doctor's appointments, filling out camp and school forms, and the million other things that come with managing your child's allergy diagnosis. But at some point, you have to trust they'll be okay. If an allergic reaction happens when you're not there, right? Which is why I want to tell you about Nephi, the only needle free epinephrine nasal spray for those who weigh 33 pounds or more. It's used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis and nefi, works as well as a needle injector and delivers the same trusted epinephrine in a nasal spray. It's designed to be safe and easy to use at the first sign of symptoms, so in a high stress moment, your child or someone else can act quickly to treat an allergic reaction even if you're not there. Nefi is also small, discreet and easy to carry, including in a backpack or a lunchbox or a sports bag, so your child is prepared anywhere the day takes them. You can pay as little as $0 for at least four Nefi devices, two packs through the copay Savings Program with commercial insurance if eligible patients should not pay more than $199 for NEFI. If you have medical conditions or take certain medicines, your condition may worsen, so tell your doctor about nasal heart, thyroid or kidney issues, high blood pressure, Parkinson's diabe if you're pregnant or breastfeeding and any and all medications. Side effects include nasal discomfort, headache, runny nose, shakiness and throat irritation. Those are not all side effects. If your child needs a new epinephrine prescription or refill, don't wait. Ask your doctor about needle free NEPHI today. Visit nephi.com that's N-E-F-F-Y.com or call 1-877-my-NEPHI to learn more. Stay safe out there, friends. The Trump administration and its backers in Congress are messing around with our health care. They have already passed a law supposedly defunding Planned Parenthood, which blocks Medicaid patients from getting life saving care like cancer screenings, wellness exams, birth control, STI treatment and more. And now these lawmakers want to shut down health centers by defunding Planned Parenthood permanently. Our communities deserve better. To learn how you can get involved, text the word update to 22422.

[Pharmaceutical Advertiser]

Xolair Omalizumab is proven to significantly reduce allergic reactions if a food allergy accident happens. Xolair 150mg is a prescription medication used to treat food allergy in people 1 year of age and older to reduce allergic reactions due to accidental exposure to one or more foods while taking Xolair. You should continue to avoid all foods to which you are allergic. Don't use if you are allergic to Xolair Xolair may cause a severe life threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Tell your doctor if you have ever had anaphylaxis. Get help right away if you have trouble breathing or if you have swelling of your throat or tongue. Xolair should not be used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. Xolair is for maintenance use to reduce allergic reactions including anaphylaxis while avoiding food allergens. Serious side effect effects such as cancer, fever, muscle aches and rash, parasitic infection or heart and circulation problems have been reported. Please see xolair.com for full prescribing information. Ask an allergist about Xolair this is an advertisement for Xolair, paid for by Genentech and Novartis.

[Podcast Host]

Boem is a boutique fashion brand that curates effortlessly feminine trend forward clothing for women who want to feel confident, stylish and comfortable without compromising quality or affordability. With boem, you'll find outfits that work for every plan on your calendar from day to night. Simple styling, elevated results and looks you'll reach for again and again and again. Their designs are made to last and won't break the bank. Shop [e-mail] that's b o h m e.com there's something about the way that T forte elevates even the simplest gathering that feels so intentional and memorable. T forte is known for their signature pyramid tea infusers topped with the iconic Leaf plus premium blends that are served in luxury hotels and restaurants around the world. But honestly, it's also the presentation that makes everything feel so elevated. Their tea chests, curated gift sets and beautiful packaging make hosting feel effortlessly polished and gifting feel incredibly thoughtful. Whether you're putting together a summer brunch, heading to a dinner party, celebrating a birthday or bridal shower, or just looking for a meaningful thank you gift, T forte turns everyday moments into something a little more special. It's the kind of detail that guests notice right away and talk about long after they leave. T forte feels elegant, intentional and effortlessly refined. Shop [e-mail] or on Amazon.

[Sophia]

What as our exercise guru, on top of all the other things you do, what's this phrase that you've coined?

[Podcast Host]

Soul Cycle Diplomacy.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Oh, this is so much fun. So when I would go to foreign countries I would still cycle because they have Soul Cycle all over the world. And so it was we were in England and so I cycled there with Gotta get Rishi. I'm thinking ahead of thank you and so, anyway, we cycled together. Sorry, I had just one of those moments. And then in Paris, I went to the cycle center. And so I would always invite people to cycle with me. I mean, leaders of the foreign countries. And sometimes they came and sometimes they didn't. But it was so fun to go, because even in France, and, you know, I don't really know French that well, but you just follow the person ahead of you, and you just do what they do. And, you know, it was just funny. So. And it was fun, and it was a way to connect on a different level. And so. And, you know, Sophie Trudeau and I, I mean, just. We just. It's another way to connect with people that isn't, like, stuffy and, you know, that you just go have fun. So that's what soul cycle diplomacy was.

[Sophia]

Well, it strikes me as you bringing some of that normalcy to an extraordinary situation. Or perhaps itinerary is the word I should have used. I have another little pop culture. Your question, because I did hear that you just went and saw Bono at the Sphere. Oh, and I do know, because, you know, you did admit it once, and now everything we've ever said is on the Internet. Yeah, I do know. He is your celebrity crush.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

That's true.

[Sophia]

And I know, like, in the world.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Should we say this on my anniversary, though?

[Sophia]

Joe's not here. He's not here. I know in the world, like, most people would say, I'm intimidated by a rock star, but does a president get intimidated by a rock star?

[Dr. Jill Biden]

No, not at all.

[Sophia]

I didn't think so, but I needed to know.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

No, but can I tell you the Bono story?

[Sophia]

Yes, please.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Okay. So it was. So anyway, Joe and Bono started out as friends, and so Bono would come to the White House, and when he's talking to you, like, all he does is speak poetry. Like, he just recites poetry. I mean, he's like, so. His soul is so beautiful, and he does so many good things in the world. I mean, he's a humanitarian. He's really a good, decent man. So Anthony took me to the Sphere for my birthday one year. We were out there for something, probably campaigning.

[Sophia]

And

[Dr. Jill Biden]

so U2 was there. And so Bono said, come on backstage and meet the band and, you know, meet my wife, et cetera. This is the beautiful thing. So before they go on stage, they get in a circle and they pray. And that's what we did. We got in a circle, we held hands and we prayed before they went out on stage. Then they go out and they play this crazy rock music. And everything. And then the last song of the night, he dedicated to me.

[Sophia]

Come on. I love it. I love it.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Now you see why.

[Sophia]

Yeah.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

I mean, we won't tell Joe.

[Sophia]

You know, you can tell him tomorrow. After everything you have experienced as a teacher, a mother, a wife, first lady, a memoirist.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

I love that word, memoir.

[Sophia]

I know, isn't it? It feels. It has a nice mouth feel.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Yeah. What's your favorite word?

[Sophia]

Oh, my favorite word. I mean, not to be cheesy, probably love.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Love. Oh, what a great answer.

[Sophia]

Yeah.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Oh, my God.

[Sophia]

You know what other word, though, has one of my favorite mouthfeels?

[Dr. Jill Biden]

What?

[Sophia]

My favorite word in Spanish. Esquierda.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Esquierta. What does that mean?

[Sophia]

Is it right or left? It is left. Right. Okay, great.

[Pharmaceutical Advertiser]

Left.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Right. No, it's.

[Sophia]

No.

[Podcast Host]

By the way, I just started my

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Spanish lessons on duolingo.

[Podcast Host]

I did take French, and I'm not

[Sophia]

good at that either, but like, the word, just saying it esquier that I'm like that. Like, I don't need it sounds sexy to me, and it feels nice and it means left. But, you know, I think progressives are sexy, so maybe we're onto something here. Well, I don't know.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

What's your least favorite word? Well, we all know that.

[Sophia]

We know. I think it's. I think we share it. You've done so much, you know, you've, like, you've just lived this big, beautiful life, and you've set an example for so many of us, and, you know, you've checked so many things off the list. The bucket list you soul cycled with, you know, foreign leaders. Like, come on. But I'm curious. With all the things you've done and everything you have to be so proud of what in your life still feels

[Podcast Host]

like a work in progress?

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Oh, everything. I mean, everything is still work in progress. I mean, I'm not giving up. And I don't know. I still have a lot to do. I just, you know, like I said, my teaching. I want to. I do want to do stuff with women's health. I do want to do prevention of cancer. I do. You know, going into the prisons, I just. I have a lot to do. Plus garden. Plus garden.

[Sophia]

Me, too.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Oh, I didn't know you were a gardener.

[Sophia]

Oh, yeah.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Okay, we'll talk after.

[Sophia]

We have a lot to talk.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Flowers.

[Sophia]

Yeah, I need your tips because I've been a west coast gardener my whole life, and now I'm an East coast gardener. I'm like, what is winter? Yeah, my plants.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

I know. Okay, we can talk.

[Sophia]

This will be for later, but for now we're out of time. And those are all my plants.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Oh my gosh, we are.

[Sophia]

I know.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

This has been so much fun. Thank you for coming. Thank you for coming.

[Podcast Host]

Thank you, thank you you.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Sophia.

[Sophia]

Thank you, thank you guys.

[Dr. Jill Biden]

Thanks for being here.

[Podcast Host]

Everyone deserves access to high quality, affordable health care no matter what. And that's why millions of people rely on Planned Parenthood health centers for services like cancer screenings, wellness exams, birth control, STI tests, and much more. In fact, one in three women in the US have been to Planned Parenthood for care. So it kind of blows my mind that lawmakers are trying to permanently shut them down. They already passed a law that blocks patients that use Medicaid from getting the affordable preventative care that they need, and now they want to make that law permanent. Guys, nobody benefits when people are getting fewer exams, paying more for care, or just skipping the health care they need altogether. And we know that is happening. Planned Parenthood health centers have reported that fewer patients are getting basic care like breast exams and STI tests since the Trump administration and their backers defunded Planned Parenthood. This is not okay. Patients shouldn't suffer because of their laws. Our communities all deserve better. To get involved, text the word update

[Pharmaceutical Advertiser]

to 22422 Xolair Omalizumab is proven to significantly reduce allergic reactions if a food allergy accident happens. Xolair, 150 milligrams is a prescription medication used to treat food allergy in people 1 year of age and older to reduce allergic reactions due to accidental exposure to one or more foods. While taking Xolair, you should continue to avoid all foods to which you are allergic. Don't use if you are allergic to Xolair. Xolair may cause a severe, life threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Tell your doctor if you have ever had anaphylaxis. Get help right away if you have trouble breathing or if you have swelling of your throat or tongue. Xolair should not be used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Xolair is for maintenance use to reduce allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis while avoiding food allergens. Serious side effects such as cancer, fever, muscle aches and rash, parasitic infection, or heart and circulation problems have been reported. Please see xolair.com for full prescribing information. Ask an allergist about Xolair. This is an advertisement for Xolair paid for by Genentech and Novartis Boem is

[Podcast Host]

a boutique fashion brand that curates effortlessly feminine trend forward clothing for women who want to feel confident, stylish and comfortable without compromising quality or affordability. With Baum, you'll find outfits that work for every plan on your calendar, from dynamic day to night, simple styling, elevated results and looks you'll reach for again and again and again. Their designs are made to last and won't break the bank. Shop [e-mail] that's b o h m e.com there's something about the way that T forte elevates even the simplest gathering that feels so intentional and memorable. T forte is known for their signature pyramid tea infuser topped with the iconic leaf plus premium blends that are served in luxury hotels and restaurants around the world. But honestly, it's also the presentation that makes everything feel so elevated. Their tea chests, curated gift sets and beautiful packaging make hosting feel effortlessly polished and gifting feel incredibly thoughtful. Whether you're putting together a summer brunch, heading to a dinner party, celebrating a birthday or bridal shower, or just looking for a meaningful thank you gift, T forte turns everyday moments into something a little more special. It's the kind of detail that guests notice right away and talk about long after they leave. T forte feels elegant, intentional and effortlessly refined. Shop [e-mail] or on Amazon this July 4th come celebrate at America's Block Party.

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[Podcast Host]

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[Sophia]

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