Buyer's remorse is hitting House Republicans over their midcycle redistricting war — a strategy meant to protect their majority that's now in danger of backfiring, Axios' Kate Santaliz writes.

• Why it matters: What began as an effort to create more GOP-controlled seats — and avoid a Democratic takeover that would weaken President Trump — now could be a wash, or even add to Democrats' edge.

At Trump's request, Republicans kicked off the unusual mid-decade redistricting push in Texas. That triggered countermoves in Dem-led California and Virginia, where voters approved a new map on Tuesday that could leave the GOP with just one seat, down from five.

• When asked if the strategy was worth it, Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) — chair of the NRCC, the House GOP campaign committee — told Axios: "It's not for me to say … because really, it wasn't my decision."

🖼️ The big picture: Republicans privately have expressed skepticism for months about the Trump team's aggressive redistricting strategy.

• Now, some lawmakers are publicly saying the blowback may outweigh the gains. "I think it is a mistake in hindsight," Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said. "They thought they could just do Texas and nobody else is gonna respond? … We started a war."

Between the lines: Voters' views on the redistricting derby itself could also become a factor in the election alongside Trump's handling of the economy, the Iran war and other issues.

🔮 What's next: All eyes will be on Florida, where state lawmakers could draw a new map to give Republicans up to five seats. But not all Florida Republicans are on board.

📊 NEW this morning: A Battleground District Project poll shows Democrats with a 6-point advantage on the generic ballot (asking people about parties, not specific names), with independents choosing Dems by a 25-point margin.

• "If these survey results were to be replicated this fall, Democrats would not only net the three seats they need to flip control of the House, but would also put seats that Trump carried by high single- and low double-digits in play," Cook Political Report editor-in-chief Amy Walter and managing editor Carrie Dann write in their analysis.

More graphics.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Navy Secretary John Phelan in the middle of the massive naval standoff with Iran, Axios' Colin Demarest and Marc Caputo write.

• Why it matters: The ouster of the Navy's top civilian caught many at the Pentagon off guard. It adds to the pile of military officials who have either abruptly exited or been pushed out of their posts under Trump 2.0.

A person familiar with the situation told us: "Phelan didn't understand he wasn't the boss. His job is to follow orders given, not follow the orders he thinks should be given."

• The same person said Phelan and Hegseth didn't get along.

Hegseth felt Phelan had bypassed the chain of command too often with his direct line to President Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago is near Phelan's mansion, another source said.

• Keep reading.

Tad DeHaven, policy analyst at the Cato Institute, on the prospect of a government bailout of Spirit Airlines, which could lead to the government owning a huge stake in the company:

"I guess it would be the Amtrak of the skies."

A deal would likely give Uncle Sam a substantial ownership stake in Spirit — possibly as much as 90%, Axios' Nathan Bomey reports.

China has far more oil stashed away than any other country — giving it a strategic edge during the biggest oil shock in history, Axios' Amy Harder writes from new U.S. government data.

• Why it matters: China is a huge winner in the Iran war, due in large part to energy, including its oil stockpile.

China also owns over 70% of the global solar, wind, battery and EV supply chains.

• Those are all seeing a boost as import-dependent countries turn from oil and natural gas to renewables.

Keep reading … Get Axios Future of Energy.

Axios managing editor Dave Lawler — attending the Endless Frontiers conference in Austin with 200 top tech founders, policymakers and private equity investors to discuss America's competition with China — isolates these four takeaways from the summit:

1. Beating China to the Moon — and using robotics to build a base once there.
2. Breaking China's chokehold on U.S. AI development, particularly on critical minerals.
3. Turning to startups to equip the military of the 21st century, at the expense of the traditional big defense contractors (think Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman).
4. AI innovations like a secretive DARPA platform now being used to war-game a potential Pacific conflict.

Between the lines: The invite-only gathering includes Trump officials David Sacks and Jacob Helberg, alongside Jim Mattis and Jake Sullivan.

Axios' Brittany Gibson reports from Redford, Texas — a tiny border town in a remote corner of the state:

The Trump administration delivered a blunt message to angry landowners at a rare in-person meeting this week: Work with us on the border wall, or we'll build it anyway.

• Why it matters: The pressure to show progress on border wall mileage in West Texas is leading to rushed and sloppy work that's infuriating local residents, ranchers and the tourism industry.

Local residents told Axios they've heard that the goal is to finish construction as soon as December 2027 — with a year left in President Trump's term.

• Since the start of the year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been mailing packages — sometimes with inaccurate survey lines or owner information — offering people between $1,000 and $5,000 for initial access to land, according to landowners who have received these packets.
• The packets list three options. All end up with U.S. Customs and Border Protection getting the land for construction.

🔎 Zoom in: The Trump administration has done as much as possible to fast-track the construction process. Construction companies are rushing to rent out local RV parks to house hundreds of workers.

• The goal is to start work in June, which'll coincide with the start of the rainy season and regular flash flooding.

More on the land fight.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new push to loosen federal restrictions on peptides could be a bonanza for telehealth companies and longevity clinics looking for the next big wellness trend, Axios' Tina Reed writes.

• Why it matters: The heavily touted but loosely regulated proteins could fuel the kind of boom we've seen with weight-loss drugs — even though there's little evidence they work in humans.

The self-administered injections have become the rage among fitness enthusiasts, celebrities and consumers seeking to heal injuries, reduce inflammation and find anti-aging benefits.

• The interest has been juiced by social media influencers and podcasters like Joe Rogan, who hosted a February segment during which Kennedy previewed his agenda and said he had taken peptides himself.
• The FDA will convene an advisory panel in July to weigh loosening rules on certain peptides — and is also rolling back Biden-era limits on their production.

Keep reading.

A paddle-wielding robot is so adept at playing table tennis that it's posing a tough challenge to elite human players and sometimes defeating them, according to a new study that shows how advances in artificial intelligence are making robots more agile.

• Sony built a robotic arm it calls Ace and pitted it against professional athletes.
• Ace competes using nine camera eyes positioned around the court and an uncanny ability to follow the ball's logo to measure its spin.

Why it matters: Sony says it's the "first time a robot has achieved human, expert-level play in a commonly played competitive sport in the physical world — a longstanding milestone for AI and robotics research."

• Go deeper … Sony's announcement … More footage.