5 Things you need to read today

1. Plan for State to purchase distressed properties

A State fund to buy distressed properties from banks and a pledge to build 45,000 new social houses by 2021 are at the centre of the Government’s much anticipated plan to tackle the housing crisis. Minister for Housing and Planning, Simon Coveney, is due to publish his Housing Action Plan on Tuesday, subject to Cabinet approval.

[ A draft copy of the plan has been seen by The Irish Times ]

. The 52-page document, dated the end of last month, sets out plans to build “mixed tenure” housing, on public land, to speed up the planning process for social housing and to establish a “procurement centre of excellence” in the Housing Agency. Built around seven “pillars”, the plan says the State must intervene in the housing crisis to “reduce the scope for the housing sector to be the source of damaging behaviour and dynamics which could threaten our future prosperity”. (http://iti.ms/29RxPz0)

2. Theresa May makes Boris Johnson foreign secretary

Theresa May has

[ dramatically reshaped the British government within hours of becoming prime minister, appointing Boris Johnson as foreign secretary ]

and dropping outgoing chancellor George Osborne from the government altogether. David Davis, who campaigned for Brexit alongside Mr Johnson, will lead the negotiations to leave the European Union. Another pro-Brexit campaigner, former defence secretary Liam Fox, will be international trade secretary. Former foreign secretary Philip Hammond is the new chancellor of the exchequer and energy secretary Amber Rudd succeeds Ms May as home secretary. Ms May’s first call with a foreign leader was with German chancellor Angela Merkel, but she also spoke with Enda Kenny, who congratulated her on behalf of the Government and people of Ireland. The Taoiseach said they discussed a range of issues, including the implications of Britain’s decision to leave the EU. “I outlined Ireland’s key areas of concern and shared my perspective on the challenges that lie ahead in the forthcoming negotiations,” he said. (http://iti.ms/29RyC35)

3. Mike Pence and Donald Trump’s Irish connection

Indiana governor Mike Pence, a front-runner to be Donald Trump’s running mate, shares Irish connections with the New York billionaire. Mr Pence’s grandmother

[ came from Doonbeg, Co Clare, home to Trump’s Irish golf resort ]

. Mr Pence’s grandfather, Richard Michael Cawley, emigrated to the US from Tubercurry, Co Sligo. He passed through the immigration station at Ellis Island in New York on April 11th, 1923. Growing up, Mr Pence was reportedly close to his grandfather, who worked as a bus driver in Chicago. The Republican governor, his wife Karen and their three children visited Ireland in August 2013, nine months before Mr Trump bought Doonbeg golf resort. (http://iti.ms/29J8zMO)

4. Population at highest in over 150 years

Today’s census figures are expected to show the Republic of Ireland’s population has climbed to its highest level in more than 150 years despite high levels of emigration. The results will also point to a continued shift in population growth towards the greater Dublin area since the last census results in 2011, with decreases in the Border and western areas. While Ireland has some of the highest levels of emigration of any European country,

[ our relatively high birth rates mean the country’s population is expected to have reached about 4.65 million, up from 4.58 million five years ago ]

. While the population has been growing for the past five years, it has been at a far slower rate since the economic crash. (http://iti.ms/29RyO2g)

5. US Police release footage of officers killing unarmed teenager

Police in California have released graphic body-camera footage of officers repeatedly shooting an unarmed teenager. The video of the killing of Dylan Noble, a 19-year-old shot at a gas station in Fresno on June 25th,

[ shows multiple shots being fired as the adolescent was gravely wounded, lying on his back and barely moving ]

. Officers privately showed the video to Noble’s family last Friday but had initially refused to release the video to the public until the investigation was complete. “They just wanted to shoot him,” said Darren Noble, Dylan’s father, after watching the footage. “They’re just trigger-happy.” After watching the footage, Noble’s family launched legal action against the city alleging that the shooting was “an inexcusable use of excessive force”. According to the Fresno police department’s account of the shooting, officers pulled Noble over while investigating reports of a man carrying a rifle at around 3.20pm. (http://iti.ms/29J8SqW)

Misc

Environment:

[ ‘The ocean is more political than it ever has been’ ]

(http://iti.ms/29Rzdlm)

Space:

[ NASA selects Irish doctor to monitor aquanauts ]

(http://iti.ms/29J8MQh)

Islamic State:

[ ‘Minister of war’ Omar the Chechen reportedly killed ]

(http://iti.ms/29RzyEw)

Miriam Lord:

[ Forget about that pot of gold, says Baldy O’Gill ]