Two U.S. military personnel were killed by a bomb today in southern Afghanistan, the Associated Press reports. As the wire service adds:

July has been the deadliest month for U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan. Friday's deaths raised the American toll to 37, well above the 28 who were killed in two months last summer.

On Morning Edition today, co-host Renee Montagne spoke with Steve Inskeep from Kabul. She's there to report on next month's presidential election. As Steve says in his introduction, U.S. forces have been increased there in part to boost security in advance of that voting. Renee reports that in many ways, the campaign is "an event Americans would recognize":

Renee will be filing dispatches from Afghanistan as the Aug. 20 election draws near.

On All Things Considered yesterday, NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reported that:

Voting for a president can be confusing in any country, and it's particularly confusing in Afghanistan, where 40 candidates are battling President Hamid Karzai for his job.