Good morning, and welcome to a hot Wednesday.

Justice Natalie Hudson will rise to the role of chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, becoming the first chief justice of color and the first Democratic-appointed judicial branch leader in 25 years. MPR’s Brian Bakst reports Gov. Tim Walz planned to introduce Hudson on Wednesday as the replacement for long-serving Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea, who will retire in October after 13 years in the prime spot on Minnesota’s bench. Walz also said he would select his former office general counsel Karl Procaccini to fill the associate justice slot Hudson held. Hudson, who is one of only a few Black justices in state history, has been on the Supreme Court since 2015 after being put there by then-DFL Gov. Mark Dayton. In a statement, Walz called Hudson “a leader and consensus builder.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has vetoed an ordinance designed to increase pay and job protections for rideshare drivers. MPR’s Jon Collins reports: The action sets  the Minneapolis City Council up for a possible attempt to override the mayor’s veto next week. Frey said he's been talking to drivers, rideshare companies and advocates since the council passed the rideshare ordinance last week. “What ultimately played a role in my decision was recognizing that we didn’t have all the data and information that we needed to understand the consequences of the decision we’re making,” Frey said. “I don’t want to sign something just to find out a week later that there were problems with it.” The ordinance was strongly opposed by Uber and Lyft, who both threatened cuts to service to the city if it was implemented. Lyft estimated that the ordinance could double the cost of ridesharing in the city. The mayor previously expressed concern about provisions in the ordinance, like the gift card ban, and had asked the council to delay a final vote, but the council passed the ordinance 7-to-5. It takes 9 votes to override.

Attorney General Keith Ellison says school resource officers can still use restraints on students if it’s done to prevent bodily harm or death. KSTP reports: At issue was an amendment to the law governing school discipline that “prohibits the use of prone restraints and the use of compression restraints on the head, back and across most of the torso,” according to the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association. The law drew criticism from some law enforcement groups, which argued restraints are sometimes necessary to keep students and staff members safe from people acting erratic or violent. “Safety is essential for learning, and everyone in our schools — students, teachers, staff, administrators, SROs and families — wants to be safe and feel safe,” Ellison said in a statement. “The aims of the new amendments to our school-discipline laws are worthy. I issued this opinion upon [Education Commissioner Willie] Jett’s request because it is important to provide clarity about the amendments’ scope.”

University of Minnesota officials said Tuesday that they're investigating the possible theft of personal data from university computer systems. MPR’s Matt Sepic reports: The U launched the investigation in late July after the tech journal The Cyber Express reported claims that a hacker had potentially gained access to more than 7 million Social Security numbers. In an email, University of Minnesota spokesperson Jake Ricker would not say whether the school has determined the validity of that figure, or how many individuals' data may be affected. Ricker said that "the preliminary assessment is that the data at issue is from 2021 and earlier."

Rep. Ilhan Omar’s trip to Qatar for the soccer World Cup last year was paid for by the Qatari government. The Star Tribune reports: The Minneapolis Democrat attended the World Cup along with a group of other members of Congress — including Democrats and Republicans — and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Omar was the only member of Minnesota's congressional delegation to go on the trip. Qatar has been widely criticized for abusing migrant workers and criminalizing same-sex relationships, among other alleged human rights issues. Omar attended the FIFA World Cup and met with Qatari government officials while she was in the Gulf nation last November and had her food and lodging paid for by the country. The cost of her trip wasn't disclosed. A spokesman for Omar said the congresswoman "remains committed to upholding human rights and the rule of law around the world, and also to direct engagement with the regimes responsible for human rights abuses." 

Now that Minnesota has legalized marijuana, are psychedelic mushrooms next? MPR’s Nicole Ki reports: Longtime supporters of legalizing psychedelic drugs in Minnesota believe the state's politics may finally be shifting their way. Minnesota lawmakers this year legalized adult-use cannabis and agreed to create a panel to study the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelic medicine. In Minneapolis, the mayor last month ordered police to back off enforcing laws around psychoactive plants, such as psychedelic mushrooms. With the DFL in control of the House and Senate next year, the session may be the "greatest chance we’ll have to see laws changed that reduce the war on people who use drugs," said Marcus Harcus, a board member of Big Psych, a Minneapolis-based psychedelic activist organization. "There’s going to be legislation that will be introduced to legalize mushrooms," he said. "Will it pass? We don't know."

And that first GOP presidential candidates debate is tonight in Milwaukee.Here’s how to watch.