Correction: An earlier version of this post mistakenly identified Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District in the headline as Iowa’s nonexistent 6th Congressional District. We regret the error.

Happy Friday! If you want to join the Morning Dispatch March Madness pool, this morning is your last chance! Fill out a bracket here (password: PirateSkiff!) before the games kick off at noon ET.

And great news: We got sign off from the suits to give out prizes (Dispatch merch) to the top 50 finishers in the pool. Keep an eye on our store in the coming months—we’ve got some great stuff coming down the pike, including merch featuring some of your favorite canine pals…

Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories

• The initial meeting between Biden administration and Chinese diplomats turned contentious yesterday, with the Chinese officials accusing the U.S. of “condescension” and hypocrisy in leveling accusations of human rights abuses and anti-democratic behavior against the CCP.