elizabeth edwards was the anchor of her husband's rising political star. mary elizabeth anania was the daughter of a navy pilot. she married john edwards, her law school sweetheart, in 1977, and the couple had four children. but their oldest, 16-year-old wade, was killed in a car accident in 1996. >> did that seem like the world had crumbled underneath us, it did. >> reporter: she rose to national prominence when he husband was elected senator from north carolina and later -- >> my love and your next vice president, john edwards. >> reporter: john kerry selected him as the vice presidential nominee in 2004, the same year edwards ran for president. it was on the day that john kerry conceded defeat, november 3rd, 2004, that elizabeth edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer. >> i'm kind of thinking that this might be it. that in bad times, you still keep your eye on what it was that was important to you. and you press forward with that. >> reporter: four years later, another blow. just as her husband returned to the campaign trail, for another run at the pres

this was a righteous boy. >> elizabeth edwards was born 61 years ago, the daughter of a decorated navy pilot who spent part of her childhood in japan. she met her husband, john edwards, while a law student at university of north carolina. >> i married him because he was the single-most optimistic person that i have ever known. >> they had four children, kate, wade and then later, emma claire and jack. her husband stayed by her side as her emergence as a public figure in her own right as author and advocate for universal health care. >> this issue doesn't know political boundaries it knows moral boundaries. >> but the cancer came back, this time during her husband's bid for president. but elizabeth edwards decided to live with cancer and not give in. >> we'll always look for the silver lining. it's who we are as people. >> and then this. the public humiliation and private agony of learning her husband of 30 plus years, had not only had an affair, but that he had fathered a child outside of their marriage during the campaign. still, elizabeth edwards stood by john edwards until recently.

tributes are pouring in this morning for elizabeth edwards. >> her family now looks, of course, to a new reality. but in their words, quote, she remains the heart of this family. friends say edwards in her final hours was never in my pain. and was conscious until the very end. >> emily schmidt is joining us now with more details. hi, emily. >> reporter: vinita and rob, good morning to you. everyone was surprised, including elizabeth edwards, at the length of her final fight. last week, doctors told her she could expect six to eight weeks to live. now, her funeral is planned for this week. on the presidential campaign trail, it was clear elizabeth edwards knew how to rally. >> my love, and your next vice president, john edwards. edward. >> reporter: but a different road proved she knew how to fight. >> i'm kind of thinking this might be it. but at bad times, you keep an eye on what is important to you. and you press forward with that. >> reporter: edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, the same day she stood by her husband and president vice presidential nominee, john edward

and they now have elizabeth edwards in their sites. why?ry moran reports. >> reporter: so now this infamous heat group -- ♪ god showed his wrath to thee >> reporter: -- has found what they must think is a new way to offend. a new way to tear at frayed fabric of our common decency by protesting at the funeral of elizabeth edwards. >> do you believe that god gave elizabeth edwards breast cancer as retribution? >> of course that's what he did and then he gave her a whoring husband. don't you understand? you don't get to stomp your feet and flip off god and think it's going to go well for you. >> reporter: that's shirley phelps-roper, the daughter of the founder of westboro, fred phelps, who took to the radio to proclaim the group's twisted theological argument, that the many sorrows of elizabeth edwards' life were all god's punishments for her support of gay rights, abortion rights and other issues. >> she used her money and her standing in this country to defy her creator. >> reporter: do you like doing this? >> oh, i love it. if you knew how

elizabeth edwards was the anchor of her husband's rising political star. s the daughter of a navy pilot. she married john edwards, her law school sweetheart, in 1977 and the couple had four children. but their oldest, 16-year-old wade, was killed in a car accident in 1996. >> did that, you know -- did it seem like the world had crumbled underneath us? it did. >> reporter: she rose to national prominence when her husband was elected senator from north carolina, and later -- >> my love and your next vice president, john edwards. >> reporter: john kerry selected him as the vice presidential nominee in 2004, the same year edwards ran for president. it was on the day that john kerry conceded defeat -- november 3rd, 2004 -- that elizabeth edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer. >> it's thrown me off course. i'm kind of thinking this might be it. in bad times you still keep your eye on what it was that was important to you. and you press forward with that. >> reporter: four years later, another blow. just as her husband returned to the campaign trail for another

the death of elizabeth edwards. the estranged wife of politician john edwards endured scandal but succumbed today to cancer after a valiant six-year fight. and then exclusive, wesley snipes in his only interview before he's due to report to prison. just days away from being locked up. maybe for years. it's the last-minute appeal that was denied. now he's here. is he sorry? is he scared? next on "larry king live." wesley snipes in a little while. sad night. we, like everyone, were very sad to learn of elizabeth edwards' death today. we send our sincere condolences to her family. she died at her home in chapel hill just a day after anoungs on her facebook page that further treatment for cancer would be unproductive. joining us with the latest from north carolina is amanda lamb with wral tv in raleigh. what do we know about her passing? do we have an official cause of death and everything established, amanda? >> well, larry, we know it was late this afternoon. we also know that the cancer had gotten into her vital orga

two of elizabeth edwards' closest friends also delivered eulogies. >> elizabeth was authentic. was real. >> reporter: they spoke of edwards' son, wade, who died in a car crash in 1996 when he was 16. >> be with wade, next to beloved wade. it's been a decade and a half since you've lost him. >> reporter: and now, another painful good-bye for the edwards family. >> emma, jack, and i ended every conversation with our mom by saying, "i love you more." and she always responded, "no, i love you more." and as you can imagine, none of us ever won that battle. but today i have the honor of being the last to say, "mom, i really, really love you more." >> reporter: in a private burial, elizabeth edwards was laid to rest next to her son, wade's grave. it's a place she visited often and where friends say she found comfort. russ. >> mitchell: elaine quijano in raleigh, morning, thank you. there is some severe weather to tell butonight. a major winter storm has dumped up to two feet of snow in the upper midwest. the storm is moving east and bringing some of the coldest temperatures of the seas

elizabeth edwards succumbed today of cancer and we have her story. >>> the lost interview. beatles legend john lennon was assassinated 30 years ago tomorrow. but days before, he gave one final interview, never heard before, until tonight on "nightline." >>> and, done deal. president obama spokes a rare flash of emotion defending his tax compromise with republicans. >> take a tally. look at what i promised during the campaign. >> but how will it affect your bottom line? we have the details. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 7th, 2010. >> good evening, everyone, i'm bill weir. and today, the nation lost an inspirational figure. a woman who overcame public and private adversity to communicate a gospel of resilience, as her last book was called. the daughter of a navy boot lot, she was born in florida 61-year-olds ago, went to law school and met the younger man who would change her life. tonight, cynthia mcfadden remembers elizabeth edwards. >> reporter: this was

how will you remember elizabeth edwards? >> she was a unique person. she was strong spirited, smart, elizabeth was always right in the middle of every discussion and had passionate points of view and was a very vital person. it's a very sad thing and i'm thinking about the edwards family this morning. >> all right. david axelrod, thank you so much. >> thank you, meredith. >>> and now let's get a check of the morning's other top stories. natalie morales is in for ann at the news desk. good morning, nat. >> good morning. the website wikileaks released more secret diplomatic cables this morning as its founder, julian assange remains behind bars in london on allegations of sexual assault. he was denied bail as a flight risk. he has said, though, the website will not be gagged and is promising more leaks. >>> north korea carried out artillery drills overnight, firing off live rounds in the border near the tense border with the south. meantime, the u.s. and south korea announced today that they will conduct more joint war exercises in the near future. >>> the

the official announcement said simply, elizabeth edwards, mother, author, advocate, died surrounded by family. also there, john edwards from whom she separated earlier this year. elizabeth edwards' rapid decline from the cancer she had fought for six years shocked many, herself included. only a week ago, her doctors told her she had week, not days left. her eldest daughter, 28-year-old cate, came to visit just before thanksgiving and never left. in the end, edwards succumbed to liver failure. there was an immediate outpouring. president obama telephoned john edwards wane cate and in a public statement he said "elizabeth reveal ed a kind of fortitude and grace that will long remain a symbol of inspiration." former president clinton called her a symbol of hope, strength and humanity. with elizabeth edwards' death john becomes the primary caretaker for their youngest children, just 10 and 12 years old. friends say he will move back into the 28,000-square-foot mansion the couple built and once shared. and the edwards family is saying in lieu of flowers that well wishers can make donations

a few thoughts on the passing of elizabeth edwards. she lost her battle with cancer yesterday at the age of 61. and finally, edmund morris is here. his latest text is the final installment of a three part biography of teddy roosevelt, "colonel roosevelt." a look back at our last conversation with elizabeth edwards. >> all i know is his name is james, and he needs extra help with his reading. >> i am james. >> yes. >> to everyone making a difference -- >> thank you. >> you help us all live better. >> nationwide insurance supports tavis smiley. with every question and every answer, nationwide insurance is proud to join tavis in working to improve financial literacy and remove obstacles to economic empowerment, one conversation at a time. >> nationwide is on your side >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning made possible by kcet public television] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> i've said before i felt the middle-class tax cuts were being held hostage.

give me a kiss, going to school, it was not a sad place, if you can imagine that. >> reporter: elizabeth edwards she would only have a few years with her young children, as she told katie couric in 2007 right after edwards learned her cancer had returned. >> i've often said that the most important thing you can give your children, wings. because you're not always going to be able to bring food to the nest, sometime they'll have to be able to fly by themselves. >> reporter: although a successful lawyer in her own right, edwards built her life around her children. when her 16-year-old son wade died in a car accident, both she and john quit practicing law and turned to politics and public service. >> if you want universal health care plan, who do you trust to actually get it done? >> reporter: and for the sake of her children edwards put aside her anger at her husband's well- known infidelity, as she told nate berkus in her last televised interview. >> i see the father of my children, and it's really important to me, particularly since i have a terminal disease, this is the person at some point who

we look at what elizabeth edwards left behind to other women who are facing and fighting cancer. >>> 30 years later after that awful night here in new york. unheard until now, john lennon tonight in his own words. >>> and some very bad news tonight ant another music legend, aretha franklin. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. >>> good evening. it doesn't seem quite real, but the world is in the midst of a >>> good evening. it doesn't seem quite real, but the world is in the midst of a kind of electronic war. the mysterious man who runs wikileaks and keeps his secrets in a military bunker is tonight in a london jail and today forces loyal to him took down the websites of mastercard and visa and there's no real telling where this ends. every day, we learn more previously confidential state secrets on the web for everybody to see. every day there's new diplomatic damage done. and now there's this counterattack going on, hitting big financial interests in the u.s., the same companies behind the credit cards carried every day by milli

. >>> saying good-bye to elizabeth edwards. friends and family remember. >> she was always a source of strength, a source of wisdom, a source of grace. >>> snowed in. a fierce blast of winter and where it's headed next. >>> and child's play. are parents pushing their kids into sports too hard and too soon? captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. another stunning and dark chapter to the bernie madoff saga was written today when the oldest son of the disgraced financier who first alerted police to his father's multibillion dollar ponzi scheme committed suicide. the body of mark madoff was found in his new york city apartment this morning exactly two years after his father was arrested in a massive swindle, one that upended the live of thousands of investors and costing them tens of billions of dollars. cnbc's scott cohn has been covering this story. he joins us tonight here in new york. >> reporter: mark madoff always denied any knowledge of his father's scheme but the clouds of rumor and innuendo kept gro

we first came to know elizabeth edwards as the devoted wife of presidential candidate john edwards. but she became something more: an example to so many americans of how to stand up to cancer, a disease that touches virtually every family. today at 61, elizabeth edwards died of complications from breast cancer in her north carolina home surrounded by family and friends. tonight, here's national correspondent dean reynolds. >> who do you trust to actually get it done? >> reporter: elizabeth edwards was often direct and to the point, even about the illness which today took her life. >> you really have two choices here. i mean, either you push forward with the things that you were doing yesterday or you start dying. that seems to me your only two choices. >> we are very optimistic. >> reporter: she pushed forward for six years, through several campaigns for high office, through a recurrence of the illness, and through her husband's infidelity. >> there are days when everybody's who's been through what i've been through in my marriage or been through what i've been through with my disea

reporter heather childers has more. >> reporter: a celebration of life for elizabeth edwards in raleigh, north carolina. her children accompanied by their father, john edwards. senator john kerry and vicky kennedy, former wife of senator ted kennedy, attending the memorial. >> every single thing she did, she did to the fullest possible extent. >> reporter: edwards entered public live in 1997 when her husband, john, became a u.s. senator. she accompanied helmet on the campaign trail during two failed presidential bids. >> six years later she was diagnosed with bed & breakfast cancer and it returned in 2007. cate read experiments from a letter that her mother left behind for her kids. all i ever really needed was you, your love, your preference to make my live complete. you are a complete joy to me. >> reporter: elizabeth edwards final years were made more complicated with her husband admitted to having an affair and fathering a child. a block away from the service members of controversial group protested the service. westboro protesters were met by a larger group of counterprotesters. >>

joel brown tells us how she's become a symbol of strength. >> reporter: elizabeth edwards died tuesday morning at her home in chapel hill north carolina, surrounded by her three children, friends and her estranged husband john. a statement released by her family reads: edwards family says monday she had weeks to live. she posted a message on her facebook page that said: president obama says he and the first lady are deeply saddened by the passing of edwards. she revealed the kind of fortitude and grace that will long remain a source of inspiration. vice president biden and secretary of state hillary clinton also released statements. biden said edwards fought a brave battle. clinton said she made her mark on america and will not be forgotten. >> reporter: edwards looked well at one of her final appearances. the stand up to cancer benefit in september. it was breast cancer that refused to stop its deadly spread. elizabeth edwards was 61 years old. >> the family asked that donations be made to the wade edwards foundation named in honor of the couple's 16-year-old son who died in 1996. >>>

to attend the funeral of elizabeth edwards. she passed away from cancer earlier this week. in light she insisted that her life's events be made open to the public, at her final farewell was no different. april williams explains. >> or elizabeth. >> a farewell to a friend, a mother, and inspiration. a funeral services were held saturday for a elizabeth edwards, who lost her long battle with breast cancer earlier this week. friends with it tends to of humor remembered edwards who many times were hard on her sleeve. >> she was real, and no pretense, no holding back sometimes though she needed a little holding back. >> edwards was a strange from husbands shot edwards, my 2004 vice presidential nominee who also ran for president in 2008. she announced in late 2004, the cancer diagnosis after a period of permission a returned a few years later. >> cancer was not the only barrier that edward space in her life, she dealt with the death of her son as well as her husband's infidelity. her daughter kate edwards said she was helpless until the end. >> when she could barely speak anymor

glow of cherished memories. >> reporter: the church where she worshiped opened its doors to elizabeth edwards for the last time. mourners filled the pews. john edwards was there but didn't speak. the beloved friend. >> she truly looked for the angels in all of us. >> the supportive classmates. >> offering comfort and love and telling the truth. >> reporter: above all, words from elizabeth to her three surviving children, emma, jack and cate. >> all i ever really needed was you, your love, your presence to make my life complete. you are complete joy to me. i hope you always know that. le wherever i am, wherever you are. i have my arms wrapped around you. >> reporter: two blocks from the church, a few unwelcome visitors from the church notorious for heckling mourners at. she hoped to reyou night wid wade who was killed in a accident. >> death offers me that which life can't offer me. >> reporter: she has left the world, but elizabeth edwards has left behind a legacy of courage, determination, and love, a love that is the gift that survives a life well-lived. raleigh, north carolina. >> alan: ju

closed captioning brought to >> closed captioning brought to >> alan: family and friends of elizabeth edwards gathered in raleigh, north carolina to bid a final farewell. edwards lost her battle with breast cancer tuesday at the age of 61. she was praised as a strong woman who comforted her family even as she was dying. >> reporter: the church where she woreshipped opened its doors to elizabeth edwards for the last time. mourners, including john kerry and ted kent's widow filled the fews. john was there but didn't speak. her grieving family heard the celebration of a life lost to cancer. the beloved friend: >> she truly looked for the angels in all of us. >> reporter: the supportive classmate. >> offering comfort and love. >> reporter: and words from elizabeth to her three surviving children, emma, jack, and cate. >> ail ever needed was you, your love, your presence to make my life complete. you are complete joy to me. i hope you always know that. for wherever i am, wherever you are, i have my arms wrapped around you. >> reporter: two blocks from the church a few unwelcome visitors from the c

elizabeth wouldn't like to say she lost the battle with cancer. she thought the battle was to live a joyful and meaningful life. >> joy was shattered by john edwards' infidelity. their divorce would have been finalized next year, but with no next year possible, elizabeth called the father of her four children to her side and for the last few weeks, the fractured family reunited. >> the mystery of what is ailing singer aretha franklin may have been resolved. news organizations are reporting the queen of soul has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. neither the singer nor her spokeswoman will confirm or deny the report. franklin announced she was taking six months off and underwent what she called a successful surgical procedure. pancreatic cancer is among the deadliest forms of the disease but has been treated successfully with surgery. >>> still ahead tonight at 5:00, from berkeley to london. a swim coach makes history for women. >> also coming up, men and marriage. what they're less likely to do after saying i do. >> why testing for an unborn child's genetic health could soon become safer and easier. >> anger over the wikileaks scandal takes th

elizabeth edwards announced monday her cancer had spread and was no longer treatable.beth edwards was 61 years old. >> top obama administration officials are considering court procedures that could bring the wikileaks founder to this country to face criminal charges. he is currently in jail in london awaiting a hear on his possible extradition to sweden to face sex charges. a u.s. spokesman says assange should face espionage in the use. the department is conducting a criminal investigation. >> you know that santa claus fired by macy's has a new gig this morning. john toomey who's been chris crinkle for 20 years was dumped last week after a couple complained about a joke he says he has used with adults for years. >> they came and sat on my knee. i said have you been good this year? oh, yes, santa. i said, oh, well, that's too bad. >> yesterday owe -- o'dual's offered him a job. >> i was quite touch he wanted to offer an old broken down santa a job. macy's said it won't comment because it's a personnel matter. >> i bet at lefty's he can tell any joke he wants. >> i bet t

> power mom, political confident, advocate and wife, today mourners which gather to remember elizabeth edwards and the legacy that touched so many lives. >> reporter: family, friends and the public will say farewell to elizabeth edwards in north carolina at a public funeral service in raleigh today. her oldest daughter, kate, and two close friends will each offer eulogies and then she will be buried in a private ceremony. her parting wish was to be laid to rest next to her son, wade, who died in a car accident when he was just 16. >> my daily prayer is that i have enough faith that i will be one day reunited with him. >> reporter: her final years were full of emotional pain, her fight against cancer and her husband john's infidelity. even though she knew her time on earth was short, she never took pity on herself. >> the one memory of elizabeth that i will take with me forever and that is, you know, the power of a positive attitude. >> those who knew her best say elizabeth edwards wouldn't want people to say she lost her battle with cancer. >> she thought the battle was to live a joyful and me

. >>> remembering elizabeth edwards. the wife of former presidential candidate john edwards loses a six-year battle with breast cancer. >>> and wrong turn. a spectacular crash at the site of extreme motor racing in chile. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> hello and good morning. welcome to our viewers across the nation including the pacific time zone. i'm lynn berry. today, we begin with a tough sell. vice president joe biden heads to capitol hill today to try and convince rebellious democrats to support president obama's tax compromise with republicans. this comes a day after the president himself launched a forceful defense of his concessions he made, including extending tax cuts to the nation's highest earners. nbc's steve handelsman has the report. >> reporter: in trouble with democrats over his compromise on taxes, president obama took his defense public. >> a long political fight that carried over into next year might have been good politics but it would be a bad deal for the economy, and it would b

remembering elizabeth edwards. thousands of people came out to remember the woman america came to know first in politics and then in her personal life. here's some of the moving eulogies coming up. >>> these are the christmas presents you don't want to find under the tree. screening for toxic materials on the peninsula. we'll have that coming up. >>> and a $25 million san francisco home with an even richer role in history. from a nazi princess to j. edgar hoover. we have an inside look. we'll be right back. >>> a live look outside at a foggy golden gate bridge. we'll have a look at the rest of your weekend forecast coming up. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] now everyone can explore the world from home. at&t is making high speed internet more affordable than ever at only $14.95 a month. one-year price guarantee. >>> when she could barely speak any more, my dad and i sat at her bedside and held her hands. she kept looking back and forth at us saying, i'm okay. she was way more worried about us than we were about her. >> e

elizabeth edwards, two of the family's long time friends. cbs. q , dog: bacon? gotta get that bacon! dog: yummy. crunchy. bacon. bacon. bacon. there, in that bag! mom: who wants a beggin' strip? dog: me! i'd get it myself but i don't have thumbs! yum, yum, yum... it's beggin'! hm... i love you! beggin' strips! there's no time like beggin' time! you won't believe your taste buds. you won't believe it's fiber. benefiber. clear, taste-free, and dissolves completely. what a beautiful way to get fiber everyday. that's the beauty of benefiber. >>> all morning we've been remembering elizabeth edwards to died yesterday after a long battle with cancer. joining us from chappaquiddick, ell ellis. you were with wade, the son who tragically died with the age of 16. you remained close to mr. and mrs. edwards. what was that like for you and what did you notice about why it was so important for mrs. edwards to stay close to her son's friends? >> it was extremely important. their house was the place that we all went to growing up. we hung out there, and ther

elizabeth edwards is sixty one years old.eparated from her husband after he had an affair and fathered a child. he and her children are at her side at the home. >>> sending kids to daycare are good for their held when they get older. sandra hughes explains why. >> reporter: like many mothers joanne was torn about her decision to put her baby in daycare and go back to work. >> at one time i thought, okay, you know what? i think it's time maybe i should stay home because i was feeling guilty and she is constantly sick, she is so little. >> reporter: but joanne's anxiety was eased by other moms. >> i people said hang in there because by the time your daughter reaches kindergarten, she is never going to be sick. >> reporter: they were right. and a new report published this month in the archives of pediatrics and adolescent medicine backs up what parents knew. children who attend large group daycare facilities before age 2.5 appear to develop more respiratory and ear infections at that age. but fewer illnesses later. >> these chil

for years, elizabeth edwards was known as the perfect political wife and mother. >> my rock, my love,r marriage were rocked by the death of her first born, wade. just 16 when he was killed in an auto accident. she reflected on the tragedy on an afternoon i spent with her six years ago. i know the last time we talked, you talked about your life stops when you lose a child. >> there's not a parent who has lost a child in this country that doesn't know that. everything exists before that time. and then after that time. >> reporter: but elizabeth vowed to bring laughter back into her life. prompting her to have more children, in addition to her then-teenage daughter, kate. in 1998 at 48 she gave birth to emma claire. two years later, she had son, jack. >> want to pick one out? >> yeah. >> reporter: you made a very dramatic choice to expand your family at an age when most women had given up child bearing. was that a tough choice to make? >> it wasn't a tough choice to make. it was a question of -- how in the world are we going to get joy in this house? we thought about what gave us joy. we

heather childress reports. >> reporter: a celebration of life for elizabeth edwards in raleigh, north carolina. her children filing into the memorial service accompanied by their father, john edwards. family members and high profile democratic politicians. senator john kerry and vicki kennedy attending the memorial. her eldest daughter kate calling her mother a strong ray of light for her family and others. >> every single thing she did, she did to the fullest possible extent. >> reporter: edwards entered public life in 1998. she accompanied him on the campaign trail. six years late, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and it returned in 2007. kate also read excerpts from a letter that her mother left behind for her kids. >> all i ever really needed was you, your love, your presence to make my life complete. you are complete joy to me. >> reporter: elizabeth edwards' final years were made more complicated when her husband admitted to having an affair and fathering the child. members from the west borrow baptist church protested the funeral. the protestors were met by a much larger gr

still, john edwards was by his wife's side when she died. >> it was very important to elizabeth that able to carry on. >> reporter: although there's speculation john edwards will raise the couple's two children before she died elizabeth said she was doing all that she could so that they would be, quote, able to function without an involved, engaged and admiring parent. elaine quijano. >> joining us from raleigh, north carolina, a long-time family friend and former campaign adviser to john edwards. thanks for being with us this morning and our condolences. >> thank you very much. >> john, you were invited to come to the home. you arrived after elizabeth edwards had passed. tell us, what was the mood like at that point and how was everyone doing and coping? >> you know, it's a hard time, as you know. but i will tell you the home right now, i think, is exactly the way that elizabeth would want it. there is more laughter than there are tears. there's amazing strength there in that home for the children. their sisters are with them, their aunt, uncle, father, friends. there's a lot of lov

oscillococcinum, nip it in the bud. . >>> an emotional farewell today to elizabeth edwards. the estranged wife of former presidential candidate john edwards lost her six year battle with breast cancer on tuesday. the funeral for a woman who endured so much and lived through so much. >> reporter: her oldest daughter 28-year-old kate give an emotional eulogy. >> she has been a lighthouse to all of us a point of guidance when we feel lost or don't know what the right thing to do is. >> john attended the funeral but did not speak at the service. he tried to comfort their two- year-old children. in recent years the family has weathered two failed presidential campaigns, elizabeth's battle with breast cancer and her husband's very public affair. through it all, friends say elizabeth edwards hung on to her positive outlook on life. >> elizabeth remained the same wonderfully authentic person, a pro at staying true. [ music ] >> reporter: her funeral took place at the same church where the family mourned their oldest son wade who died in a car accident in 1996 when he was just 16. fou

. >>> elizabeth edwards has lost her six-year battle with breast cancer. e estranged wife of former presidential candidate john edwards passed away at her home in north carolina this morning at the age of 61. nbc bay area's lisa kim is live in the newsroom with more on her life and legacy. >> an inspirational figure through her public and private pain. most americans knew elizabeth edwards through her husband back-to-back campaigns for vice president and president but fight for causes dear to her and her personal but public battle with cancer that earned her her own admirers. she married john edwards back in 1977 with encouragement from her edwards dove into politics eventually winning the vp spot on a 2004 democratic presidential ticket. the same day of john kerry's concession speech, elizabeth edwards started dealing with advanced breast cancer. she wrote a book. >> actually good to feel like you can be an inspiration to people. >> reporter: after treatment that cancer went into remission only to resurface. elizabeth had been told of her husband's affair

. >>> and elizabeth edwards and her family reveal that further cancer treatments won't do any good. >>> good morning everyone. thanks for being with us on this tuesday. a major deal to cut taxes and extend unemployment benefits has been reached between republicans and president obama. >> but now, the white house must sell the compromise to liberal democrats who are accusing the president of selling out. emily schmidt is joining us now with washington with details of the plan. good morning, emily. >> reporter: rob and vinita good morning to you. president obama says the typical american family would pay $3,000 a year in taxes beginning next month, if this deal falls through. but some democrats charge that the compromise comes too early and leaves too much on the table. the bipartisan deal extending bush-era tax cuts for two more years announced by president obama is what he says, not exactly what he wants, but what the country needs. >> it's not perfect. this compromise is an essential step on the road to recovery. >> reporter: the deal means lower tax rates will remain in place for ev

also tonight, the family of elizabeth edwards announced today she has stopped all cancer treatment and that loved ones

de hay que cuidarse y que el cáncer de la mama mata hay gente que se cura pero has mueren. >> elizabeth edwardsnes rodeaban su cama enferma, sin duda es una mujer excepcional, que descanse en paz. >> regreso con ustedes. >> gracias lourdes y pues va a descansar sus restos al lado de su hijo porcentaje murió hace años. >> y el último mensaje de forma moderna lo hace por facebook. >> y bueno gracias y hasta

. >> smith: elizabeth edwards is taking a turn for the worse. she posts a farewell message online. and she's breaking down roadblocks, taking women into a world long dominated by men. steve hartman's "assignment america." captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> smith: good evening, katie is off tonight. there is breaking news at the white house. after weeks of haggling, nasty debate and political posturing, it appears that president obama and congressional republicans have struck a deal to extend the bush tax cuts and to extend unemployment benefits as well. the question: will democrats go along? senior white house correspondent bill plante is following developments. good evening, bill. >> reporter: good evening, harry. it wasn't easy getting there, >> this is not perfect but it's a potential step on the road to recovery. >> reporter: the deal includes a two-year extension of the bush tax cuts for everyone, including the wealthiest taxpayers in exchange far 13-month extension of unemployment bene

. >>> and we also have news tonight about elizabeth edwards. word that she has taken a serious turn for the worst. >>> closing in -- wikileaks founder julian assange ready to turn himself in on rape accusations as more leaks hit his website. >>> and "dandy" don -- remembering don meredith, the glamorous quarterback who made us laugh as he put "monday night football" on the map. >>> good evening. we start tonight with taxes and breaking news. those politically charged tax cuts. they have been on the book since george w. bush was president. and there is late word tonight the fight over keeping those tax cuts has ended. president obama has agreed that everyone, including the wealthiest americans, will keep their tax breaks. so, what else was thrown in during the long behind-the-scenes negotiations? jake tapper is at the white house tonight with everything that's happened, right to this hour. jake. >> reporter: president obama came before the cameras this evening after days of deal making and announced that, in fact, a deal was at hand. >> i believ

reached a deal with congressional republicans on monday to extend the bush era tax cuts. >>> elizabeth edwardsds. doctors have told the estranged wife of former democratic presidential candidate john edwards that further treatment for her breast cancer will do no good. >>> the eastern half of the united states is shoveling and shivering this morning. freezing below normal temperatures and snow stretched from the midwest to the deep south where many schools are closed and farmers are worried about crop damage. >>> an american accused of killing his wife during a honeymoon scuba dive in australia has arrived in alabama to face murder charges. he has already spent 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter. >>> american shark experts have flown to egypt to kept investigate a string of at least five shark attacks at red sea resorts. on sunday, a german tourist died after her arm was severed by a shark. >>> a printing problem has forced the government to put more than 1 billion brand-new $100 bills into storage. some of the bills have a crease with no ink and will be destroyed. produ

falllllllllllllllllll you can see >> closed captioning brought to you by mancini sleepworld. >>> elizabeth edwards passed away at her home in north carolina. she was diagnosed with breast cancer and it spread to other parts of the her body. he -- she and john edwards separated in january. edwards addressed the issue in her book "resilience". >> take whatever you've got the make the most of that. allowed me to see really clearly, where i want to put my energies. and on the issues that still matter to me. and children who are the center of my life. >> her oldest son, wade died in 1996. she left her legal practice after his death to start a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring young students. edwards was 61 years old. >> google postponed a notebook computer. promising to have the lap tops power bid chrome operating system rtd by the end of the year. and however, the company will issue proto types. the first lap tops will be made by samsung. >> and if you plan on shipping something with ups don't forget to bring a photo id. the company is requiring all customers to show their ids around the world. this is

. >> and still ahead, the facebook posting from elizabeth edwards giving a clearer idea of where she is in the cancer battle. >> remarkable technology preventing yourrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrc [ female announcer ] martinelli's gold medal sparkling cider is the perfect choice for holiday gatherings. martinelli's is non-alcoholic, festive like champagne, and tastes great! martinelli's: since 1868. >>> sad news about the health of elizabeth edwards, she stopped her cancer treatment and say any further treatment would be unproductive. the 61-year-old is now home in north carolina. a family friend says doctors told us she only had weeks to live and her estranged husband is with her along with their three children and other family and friends. edwards posted a statement on her facebook page said very been with my life three saving faces, family, friends and hope. edwards diagnosed with breast cancer in twer, it's spread to her body now. >> and a u.s. airways flight headed from newark, new jersey was forced to make a landing when a dog bit two people. a passenger let a small terrier out of a carrier

when bad things happen, you have the strength to face them. >> elizabeth edwards han dealing with breastbid in 2004. she continued to persevere. elizabeth says that family, friends and the faith and power of resilience and hope carried her through these difficult times. >> let's hope it continues. edwards is said to be in no pain and in good spirits despite the situation. her children are with her including her older daughter and her two youngest, and michaela who is 12 and jack who is ten. edwards, by the way, is 61. >>> the battle of legal marriage is in a war that will likely lead to the world's highest court. they argued the constitution constitutionality of proposition 8, the ban on gay marriage. >> this proposition, marginalized and stripped over many gay californians, is repeatedly characterized as the most important relation in life. >> the place for this question to be decided is a place where it was decided. >> both sides addressed a three-judge panel arguing the federal court's decision that prop 8 was unconstitutional and discriminatory. what comes next? most expect an appeal

. >>> elizabeth edwards, the estranged wife of john edwards has passed. her death comes one day after the family issued a statement saying doctors had advised that further cancer treatment would be unproductive. elizabeth edwards was 61 years old. >>> governor elect jerry brown today announced the first two aappointments to the upcoming administration. brown has asked finance director anna montesantos to stay on. brown says she has what it takes. montesantos says she's honored to stay. duley is currently president of the california children's hospital association and was brown's legislative secretary in his first administration. >>> you probably heard a lot about those things called earmarks. popular with politicians to bring money to local projects. but at the cost of billions of the dollars. now there's a new way to see exactly what your congressional leader wants to spend and where. ktvu's maureen naylor is live in san jose to explain. >> reporter: it's also this new website, with a click of a mouse you can see where leaders want to put your money. and

. >> elizabeth edwards has died the estranged wife of former democratic presidential candidate john edwards. it should in fighting breast cancer four years monday her family announced that elizabeth had been taken up treatment doctors indicated at that point yet a short time to live. john and elizabeth had split after was revealed that john edwards had a mistress. when she died in her north carolina hall were told she was surrounded by her family, john edwards was there. she wanted him there to be support for the children. elizabeth edwards was 61 years old. new tonight at 5:00 at 5:15 p.m. the future of the web at the new operating system that could change how you use the internet. at 5:45 p.m. the trouble the new rating sfo caught that nobody wants and what it means for you next flight. at 5:40 p.m. santa claus can, when macy's says it no longer work with the san tell us why so many are standing behind him. coming up. [ woman on tv ] if you won't let me in, you can't really love me. i know about gayle. i don't know what you're talking about. if you just tell me what happened... [ ding ] [

elizabeth edwards loses her fight from cancer. look back at her life. >>> private letters from phillip garrido made public what they reveal. >>> remembering pearl harbor. a look at hour world war ii heroes were honored today. , ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, the moment you feel run down or achy nip flu-like symptoms in the bud, with oscillococcinum. get oscillo and feel like yourself again. oscillococcinum, nip it in the bud. elizabeth edwards lost her battle w >>> she was known for her resilience and fortitude. this morning, elizabeth edwards lost her battle with cancer. her family says the estranged wife of former presidential candidate john edwards died at her home in north carolina. sandra hughes has a look back at edwards' often stormy life in the spotlight. >>> reporter: elizabeth edwards was best known as the wife of a famous politician. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: but she was also a lawyer with an impressive resume' and a devoted mother. in the final years of her life, she became most identified with her private battles. first he

. >>> bad news about elizabeth edwards. a new development in her battle against cancer. >>> prompt is asking fellow democrats to go along -- p rompt -- president obama is asking democrats to go along with the compromise deal he made with republicans. under this, tax cuts for all americans would be extended two more years. that would save the average worker with a $40,000 salary about $800 this year. the deal will extend u nemployment benefits for 13 more months. it includes a payroll tax and social security tax cut. scott macfarland tells us now, this deal, scott is on shaky ground. good morng. >> reporter: good morning, dave, especially among the democrats. we're still waiting to hear from nancy pelosi who issued no public statement after the agreement was announced. she will make a public appearance at the capitol today to light the capitol christmas tree at 2:00, one of her final ceremonies as outgoing house speaker. one calls the tax deal "surrender." the party wanted to extend those tax cuts to those earning more than

elizabeth edwards was 61. joel brown, cbs news, washington. >>> scattered showers today, let's get another check of weather and traffic before you head out the door. okay, tracy. which city is going to get hit the hardness is. >> you know, santa rosa has been heaviest rainfall since 5 a.m. you can see a little yellow moving through santa rosa. that's pockets of heavy rainfall, downpours in that area. more heavy rainfall outside of san rafael and more heavy rainfall in the concord area. we are going to move in closer because we are seeing some pockets of heavy rainfall and it's all moving off to the northeast a bit. so benicia, you're looking at a pocket of heavier rainfall moving towards your area. concord light rainfall as a batch of heavier -- a line of heavier showers moving into pittsburg and antioch and also headed in toward the brentwood area. this morning, we are expecting cloudy with rainfall, and delays on arrivals at sfo around 2 hours. if you are traveling this morning, call ahead. that's a look at

tonight prayers are coming in for elizabeth edwards who died to of cancer at the age of 61. she spoke frankly about not letting her deadly disease get in the way of her intenses for living. >> trust to get it done -- >> reporter: she was often direct and to the point even about the illness which today took her life. >> you really have two choices here. you either push forward with the things you were doing yesterday or you start dying. that seems to be your only two choices. >> we are very optimistic. >> reporter: she pushed forward for six years through several campaigns for high office, through a recurrence of the illness and through her husband's infidelity. >> there are days when, you know, people have been through what i've been through in my marriage or with this disease and have days when they just pull the covers back up over their heads and stay put. >> reporter: she died this morning at her home in chapel hill north carolina. doctors had told her further treatment would be un- productive but held out the hope she had maybe a few weeks more. it was not to be and in