A judge has ruled that the government can convene a meeting next week to seek an exemption from the Endangered Species Act on the basis of national security for expanded oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. The judge rejected the Center for Biological Diversity’s motion to postpone the meeting Friday. The committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday to seek an exemption to endangered species laws, which make it illegal to harm or kill species on a protected list, for national security purposes as invoked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit against Interior Secretary Doug Burgum earlier this month, saying he did not meet requirements to convene the committee.