R oman Catholics choose their first new pope — Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina — from outside Europe in more than 1,000 years. He succeeds Pope Benedict XVI, the first pope to resign in 600 years. Meanwhile, a New York Supreme Court justice caused big trouble for big sodas. It struck down the Big Apple’s ban on sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces. Back in Washington, D.C., not much has changed. The standoff over fiscal ideology keeps our nation in a maddening limbo.