Wednesday morning's vote at the papal conclave at the Vatican led to black smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney, meaning no new pope after the cardinals' second vote.
The process by which the next pope will be elected, known as the conclave, began Tuesday morning at about 11:30. Here are some key points you should know about:
Tuesday evening, a plume of black smoke rose out of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, signifying that the first round of balloting to elect a new pope had passed without any nominee receiving the necessary two-thirds majority.
This week at the Vatican in Rome, cardinals from around the world are convening to elect the next pope, which could happen any day now. Who is most likely to succeed Pope Benedict XIV? As of now, there is no clear favorite, but a few cardinals have emerged as the top choices in various betting markets.
The labor market—and the economy overall—is improving, albeit gradually, with employers adding 236,000 jobs in February. That gain brought the unemployment rate down a few ticks from 7.9 percent to 7.7, its lowest point in four years.