Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Kathleen McLaughlin

@kemc.bsky.social

1.7K followers 410 following 220 posts

Author of BLOOD MONEY Journalist, found all over https://kemc.substack.com/ https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Kathleen-McLaughlin/179283499

kemc.substack.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · May 30

Did you know payday loans wither when plasma centers open? Check put my new radio documentary for BBC World Service here www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w...

BBC World Service - The Documentary, America: The human plasma factory

Kathleen McLaughlin investigates the multibillion-dollar global plasma industry

www.bbc.co.uk

2 5 20

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · 4d

oh wow, even that headline.

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · 8d

This is going to be fun! Read my interview with Leah here and get yourselves to her book talks substack.com/home/post/p-...

1 4

Reposted by Kathleen McLaughlin

Leah Sottile @leahsottile.bsky.social · 9d

Hey Montana friends, this is next week!

Bozeman - Mon 10/6 at the Country Bookshelf w/ @betsygainesquammen.bsky.social
Helena - Tues 10/7 at Montana Book Co. w/ @kemc.bsky.social
Missoula - Wed 10/8 at Fact & Fiction w/ Lee & Jule Banville
Hamilton - Thurs 10/9 at Chapter One w/ Russ Lawrence

A poster advertising book tour dates from Oct 6-9 in Montana featuring author Leah Sottile discussing her book Blazing Eye Sees All

1 7 41

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · 28d

The authoritarian + tech nightmare collab: "Over the past quarter century, American tech companies to a large degree designed and built China’s surveillance state, playing a far greater role in enabling human rights abuses than previously known, an Associated Press investigation found."

Silicon Valley enabled brutal mass detention and surveillance in China, internal documents show

U.S. technology firms such as IBM, Dell and Cisco largely designed and built China’s surveillance state, an AP investigation finds. The tech companies deny wrongdoing.

apnews.com

1 2

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 22

Oh I would love to!

Reposted by Kathleen McLaughlin

Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · Jun 28

We live in a time of even greater wealth inequality than preceding the French Revolution

Taracas @taracas.bsky.social · Jun 27

World’s richest 1% increased wealth by $33.9 trillion since 2015, Oxfam says share.inquirer.com/ajXvYd
“…Chris Evans, a professor of taxation at the University of New South Wales, described “gross inequality in wealth” as “a disaster for social cohesion.” 🎯🎯🎯

World’s richest 1% increased wealth by $33.9 trillion since 2015, Oxfam says

That amount is “more than enough to eliminate annual poverty 22 times over,” according to a new analysis from the anti-poverty group.

share.inquirer.com

10 58 190

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 2

Hi cousin Marge! ✊🏼

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

Weird autocorrect from my phone!

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

the payments are not straightforward, they are based on how often you donate and incentivized to get people to donate at the highest frequency allowed anywhere in the world. The hourly pay does not reflect actual time and prep required - it's much more complicated and opaque than it might seem.

Reposted by Kathleen McLaughlin

Frankie Huang 黄碧赤 @ourobororoboruo.bsky.social · Jul 1

Kathleen McLaughlin’s book about the plasma industry is an extremely eye-opening look at poverty in the US, and how people who sell plasma to help make ends meet are exploited without being given proper protection and support.

This is a labor issue conveniently shrowded in stigma.

2 9 27

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

Every day, I think about how the US press would be covering *all of this* if it were happening in another country.

Darin Self @darinself.com · Jul 1

If a sitting president can openly muse about arresting and disappearing someone who is likely to become mayor of the country's largest city, while also getting the funding for a massive secret police, it'd be hard to find sufficient evidence to qualify that country as a democracy.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Jul 1

Trump threatens to arrest Mamdani and then adds, "a lot of people are saying he's here illegally"

1 3 17

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

I think there's a pretty obvious argument that regulatory oversight remains weak because the industry primarily targets people who aren't wealthy or connected.

1 17

Reposted by Kathleen McLaughlin

Katharin Tai 戴恺琳 @ktai.bsky.social · Jul 1

I strongly recommend this book, I learned so much from it - I hadn't even known the economics of blood was a thing! IMHO it's also a really good example of a former foreign correspondent using that experience/lens to reveal/learn something new about their home country in a very thoughtful way

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

Given that the vast majority of Americans who sell blood primarily do so first and foremost for money, yes it does reflect the economic hardships of the United States. Really do wish more people would read my book!

Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · Jul 1

this does not reflect dire poverty in the US - I assure there are many more poor people in the importer countries - but the fact that there’s high demand for plasma and it’s legal to pay people for it in the US, unlike most places

1 1 7

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

Thanks, Katharin!

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

It's crazy how big it is, and how hidden it is despite being so big!

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

I tryyyyyyy, Frankie!

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

Super interesting development. Unfortunately it's nearly impossible to mimic the components of human immunoglobulin (IVIG), which is the primary medical product made with the plasma Americans donate/sell.

1 1

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

I love the needle wizards. So hard to find, and so amazing when you do.

1 3

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

I don't know what you're talking about, but it's not legal to sell plasma in Haiti. There are only six countries in the world where it's allowed, and the US is the largest source of human plasma in the world.

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

*precarity, that is

1 8

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

wild story, but I'm having a plasma infusion right this very minute, so thanks for being donor ;-) It does saves lives; it also makes huge profits.

1 6

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

We have a large population of people who live with economic precocity - moreso than other wealthy nations. It's a fact. There are reasons the practice of paying people for plasma remains legal here and not in most of the rest of the world.

2 3 34

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

Here's a documentary on the topic I just did with the BBC. The economics of blood in America are fascinating www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w...

BBC World Service - The Documentary, America: The human plasma factory

Kathleen McLaughlin investigates the multibillion-dollar global plasma industry

www.bbc.co.uk

1 27

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

It's a shocking statistic for sure! I think because it primary affects lower-income people, the scale of the industry remains hidden to most people.

Kathleen McLaughlin @kemc.bsky.social · Jul 1

It's all in there, including that Europe (wealthy nations) is the primary importer of American plasma. I suppose it's more fun to argue over a post or a podcast though.

1 41