AP's Lawrence Knutson, who covered Washington's transcendent events for nearly 4 decades, has died

A longtime Associated Press writer, whose deep knowledge of the presidency, Congress and American history made him an institution in his own right, has died. Lawrence L. Knutson was 87. His cousin, representing the family, says Knutson died Saturday night in hospice care at a memory care facility in Washington. Knutson had prostate cancer and other health problems. His AP career spanned 37 years and the terms of eight presidents before his retirement in 2003. Knutson brought a keen interest in history to his coverage of the transcendent events of his day.