Washington Post [no paywall]: “A committee led by the interior secretary known as the “God Squad” voted Tuesday to exempt oil and gas companies from complying with the Endangered Species Act when drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, a move expected to threaten Rice’s whale and other species with extinction. Meeting for the first time in more than 30 years, the group — nicknamed for its ability to decide the fate of species — approved the exemption on “national security” grounds in a discussion that took about 15 minutes. Trump officials said the decision would protect critical domestic energy production at a time when global supplies are disrupted by the war with Iran. It’s the first time that an administration has sought a national security exemption since the passage of the 1973 Endangered Species Act.