Brooke Hart, NBC News:

...President Bush is expected to address the issue of military care in a speech to the American Legion. Aides say he'll also say there are quote small but encouraging signs the troop surge in Iraq may be working.

One of those "small but encouraging signs," presumably:

Nine American soldiers died in explosions north of Baghdad, the U.S. military announced Tuesday after the deadliest single day for U.S. troops in Iraq in nearly a month....

Shiite pilgrims, too, came under attack as they streamed south, mostly on foot, toward a shrine in Karbala ahead of a weekend holiday. Police said at least 20 were killed Tuesday in shootings and bombings along the way....

Violence has fallen in Baghdad, where a joint U.S.-Iraqi security crackdown was in its third week. But U.S. military officials say insurgents have fled the capital for outlying areas, where attacks are on the rise. Direct attacks on U.S. forces in Diyala are up 70 percent since last July, according to figures provided by the U.S. military....

Look down the tunnel! A light! No, really!

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UPDATE: Even more "good news."