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After sharp words on the debate stage Tuesday and after weeks of tough talk about each other on the campaign trail, President Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney face a different kind of challenge tonight:

They have to be funny about each other and about themselves.

As recently as last month, it was clear that a lot of Republicans were unhappy with their presidential nominee, Mitt Romney.

When I would ask GOP voters how they felt about Romney at campaign rallies or at their doorsteps, many made sour faces, like they were swallowing chalk. They offered their most backhanded endorsements, saying things like, "He wasn't my first choice," or, "He's who we've got."

It was clear they would vote for him, but for many it was not out of love — it was out of disdain for President Obama.

I admit that it's hard for me to turn down a strange-looking depiction of Prince William and the Duchess Formerly Known As Kate Middleton. In this case, they are a cake. She looks very happy!

He looks a little sad, though. I'm not sure why, since this wedding-themed cake doesn't even have tiers. TIERS! [Taps microphone.] Is this on?

The number of first-time claims for jobless benefits rose by 46,000 last week, to 388,000, the Employment and Training Administration says.

The previous week's total — 342,000 — was the fewest since early 2008. The increase last week put claims back into the range where they've been stuck for a year, between 350,000 and 400,000.

I don't know when we decided to start celebrating the 161^st anniversaries of things, but it's the 161^st anniversary of the publication of Moby-Dick, and there's a Google Doodle to celebrate. [The Telegraph]

Good morning: here are our early stories:

Week After Latest Death Rumors, Cubans Get Letter From Fidel Castro.

'Newsweek' Kills Its Print Edition.

Tough Times, Even Higher Debts For College Graduates.

Saying that "we have reached a tipping point at which we can most efficiently and effectively reach our readers in all-digital format," editor Tina Brown announced this morning that Newsweek's Dec. 31 issue will be its last print edition.

Going forward, she said:

"Newsweek will expand its rapidly growing tablet and online presence, as well as its successful global partnerships and events business.

Two-thirds of American college graduates left school last year with student loan debt hanging over their heads and the average amount they owed was $26,600, up 5 percent from the previous year. They also walked into a "tough job market" that was only marginally more friendly than in 2010, according to a report released today by the Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS).

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. Back in the late 1700s, the resentful subjects of France's Marie Antoinette gave her the nickname Madame Deficit. The queen's extravagant lifestyle ended at the guillotine. But she left behind some treasures, including a delicate pair of green and pink silk striped slippers. On the anniversary of her execution this week, they were sold by a Parisian auction house at a price fit for a queen - more than $65,000. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.