americans fell in love with valerie harper as rhoda on the mary tyler moore show and later on her own spin-off. earlier this year harper revealed she had been diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer. since then, something extraordinary happened. and she's already beating the odds. we get her story tonight from nbc's meredith vieira. >> we're all going to die. but because i've been told i have a finite time by my doctors, i just want to live every moment to the fullest. >> reporter: when valerie harper's lung cancer spread to the membranes surrounding her brain, doctors told her she would likely have only three to six months to live. that was in january. but harper held out hope. >> spontaneous remission lives as a possibility. you know what i mean, girlfriend? i mean it. a lot of stuff that looks impossible is not. >> i've got to lose ten pounds by 8:30. >> the iconic actress who spent so much of her life in front of the cameras, offered nbc news an intimate look at her day-to-day fight for survival. for months we've been with her, chronicling her journey through a terminal diagnos

beloved tv star valerie harper. tonight, meredith vieira is with her as doctors tell her something she didn't see coming. "nightly news" begins now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >>> good evening. i'm lester holt in for brian. the u.s. tonight appears to have just lost a key ally as it tries to build consensus for a punishing military attack on syria. there's late word from london that britain's parliament has tonight against supporting an attack. but even as efforts towards an international consensus unravel, the white house is still pressing its case here at home for a military strike. in a conference call this evening, members of the president's national security team are briefing congressional leaders in what the white house believes is the syrian government's role in an attack. and the military response with or without international partners. we have reports from washington, as well as inside damascus tonight. andrea mitchell starts u

. >>> valerie harper's miracle, mike tyson's cry for help and kevin with oprah today. >> and fergie'se top trending stories you need to know. >> remission, live as a possibility. >> valerie harper's stunning brain cancer miracle. >> defy the odds. >> that's great. >> after outliving her terminal diagnosis is she joining "dancing"? >> i just want to live every moment to the fullest. >>> then oprah's first words about her rousing i have a dream speech. what does it mean for you? >> to not be able to stand in the space that i hold for myself. at the march. >>> mike tyson's new cry for help. >> i want survive if i don't get help. >>> plus fergie's big baby news. simon smooching his baby momma and is he calling out his new "x factor" judge. >>> and why is this star suing the diet giant that helped her lose weight? >> i won't hawk something i don't believe in. >>> and is it a fashion show with pregnant models showing off and pigging out? >> we had pizza right before we walked the runway. >>> where yahoo! and broadcast meet for 24/7 access to celebrity news, "omg! insider." >>> valerie harpe

valerie harper revealed to the world in march that she is suffering from terminal brain cancer. >> at, three months to live. >> reporter: harper defied those odds still going strong and taking on a new challenge. celebrity news website tmz is reporting that harper will hit the ball room floor. stunning many because of harper's incurable form of cancer she discussed on piers morgan. >> a lot can happen if the cancer gets really aggressive, pressing on parts of the brain. >> reporter: doctors gave her until june to live, but she far surpassed that. >> i want folks to see me that i'm okay, i'm not suffering, so far. and there may be pain and a lot of things ahead, but whatever they are, they're ahead. >> reporter: at a recent press event for the sit com "hot in cleveland" she addressed her prognosis. >> no doctor in the world can say this is your three months, six months. that's what our experience is, but every case is different. >> reporter: her commitment to the physically demanding reality show could have the 74-year-old on the dancing floor for weeks, if america votes her through to

. >>> and valerie harper gives our meredith vieira an inside look at her battle against incurable cancer. >> a lot of stuff that looks impossible is not. and every day there's evidence of it. >> what doctors are telling valerie now. >>> but first, this is "today" on nbc. >>> coming up, matt is in las vegas this morning. has an exclusive interview with mike tyson. it seems to be searingly honest, matt. >> when you sit down with him, you realize he doesn't have a seven second delay. if he thinks it, he says it. on the subject of addiction he says if he doesn't get help, he might not survive. take a look. >> i'm cool. but that's not the life i want to live. i don't want to live that life. eventually it's going to get ugly. i'm going to be ugly. i don't want to live that life. >> that's right. it's a candid, revealing and sometimes even confusing interview with mike tyson coming up in our next half hour, guys. >> see you in a minute, matt. >> he was one of the most fearsome, spectacular athletes of his time. hope he pulls it all together. >>> coming up in a few moments and a little bit later

. >>> also happy birthday to actress kristen wiig, giada laurentiis is 43 and valerie harper 74. >>> "today" exclusive as hannah anderson talks for the first time about her kidnapping and rescue. >>> and we want to say congratulations to "today" news anchor jenna wolfe and nbc news correspondent stephanie gosk on their new baby girl named harper. >> i like that name. >> keep it here for more news, weather and sports i'm betty ngyuen. thanks for watching today. have a good one. >>> it is out of control. a wildfire burning near yosemite forces more people out of their homes as more bay area crews head in to help. we have new numbers from overnight. >>> my mom raised me to be strong. >> just weeks after her disappearance sparks an amber alert across six states, hannah anderson is speaking out in an nbc exclusive. we'll let you know why she now doesn't consider herself a victim. >>> a late night house fire leads to an unexpected discovery at the bay area. what firefighters found that could have the people who live here facing some serious charges. >>> right now let's take it live outside

this morning, we get a look at who could be on the next season of "dancing with the stars" with valerie harper, diagnosed with terminal brain cancer is doing so well she has been practicing with "dancing with the stars" with her partner, the 74-year-old actress is famous for playing "rhoda," and tmz says there will be a reality tv star, snooki, all signing on to take a spin in season 17. >> commuters could be tap dancing trying to get to work without the bay bridge and this is a picture with the toll plaza no cars but if those being used by caltran and c.h.p. we have coverage of the thursday morning commute without the old bay bridge. >> bart is running around the clock to ease the commute. how busy are the >> live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news this is a picture from the first morning commute bay area has to manage without the bay bridge is underway on the left with the new span they hope to open in a few days and on the right, in the middle of the screen in the dark is where the old section of the bay bridge would have been showing no commuter traffic and the bridge close

when valerie harper's lung cancer spread to the membranes surrounding her brain, doctors told her she'd likely only have from 3 to 6 months to live. that was in january. now seven months later, doctors say the iconic mary tyler moore show actress is, quote, pretty close to remission. harper is aware her condition could change at any time but for now she and her husband say they have hope. some good news there. >>> california firefighters are finally getting an upper hand on the state's massive wildfire. the rim fire near yosemite has been burning for two weeks now. this morning, it stopped growing, thanks to cooler temperatures and higher humidity. just one-third of the flames are described as under control, though. so far it's burned more than 300 square miles. >>> record-setting temperatures in the midwest this week. that have closed schools. and are threatening crops there. some schools without air conditioning there did not even bother opening. many parents did not find out about that until arriving to find the doors shut. farmers are also suffering. the lack of rain will likely mak

. >> new at 1:00, encouraging news on valerie harper. she is defying the odds. remember how she had brain cancer. her doctor now said it is getting close to remission. back in march the 74-year-old announced she only had months to live and five months later she is still around and working. harper and her doctor agree that life for her right now is all about buying some time. >> well you might want to leave work early tomorrow when you are heading off to work or school. right top? >> not so much for showers or storms, but again fog. patchy dense fog in the morning. here is your wakeup weather. temperature-wise, 68-74 at 5:00. but then mid-60s to 70s at 7:00 and in the 70s by 9:00 and burning off fog early than it did this morning. we'll coand take you through the holiday weekend, the heat and the storms are just around the corner. >> thank you, top. >> trying to decide where to pick up a bite to eat after that weekend movie date and hang with us until after the break. it is that or take your chances on guessing where the rats, mice and roaches like ask me what it

beloved tv star valerie harper. how she is doing months after a devastating diagnosis.tonight, meredith vieira is with her as doctors tell her something she didn't see coming. "nightly news" begins now.

happy 74th birthday to valerie harper. ife despite being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. >> don't go to the funeral before the day of the funeral. each day, each moment. >> nothing can keep rhoda down. abc's scandal received a pair of emmy nominations. that does not mean all those on the set. the scandal season 2 dvd is out september 3rd and features these whoopsie moments. bye-bye. >> bring jarman for questioning -- for questioning? would you like some water? >> wow. that's not going to work. stop. >> if you can just get up and go. >> ha ha ha!

king of queens actress lia remedy and valerie harper. known for playing rhoda on mary tyler moore program. she revealed she has terminal brain cancer. if she can pull this out with that diagnosis what a great feet that would be. >>> provision for obama care. what it means for you when we come back. >> she comes inches from losing her life. this granny doesn't even flinch. we will tell you what happened when we come back. [ male announcer ] come to the lexus golden opportunity sales event and choose from one of five lexus hybrids that's right for you, including the lexus es and ct hybrids. ♪ this is the pursuit of perfection. ♪ every now and then i get a little bit hungry ♪ ♪ and there's nothing good around ♪ ♪ turn around barry ♪ i finally found the right snack ♪ ♪ ask me what it's like to get your best night's sleep thevery night.k ♪ [announcer] why not talk to someone who's sleeping on the most highly recommended d in america? ask me about my tempur-pedic. ask me how fast i fall asleep. ask me about staying asleep. [announcer] tempur-p

. >> valerie harper announced she had terminal brain cancer and as little as three months to live.eek. it wraps up august 11th. it is going to be for a film "the town that came a-courting," for the up cable channel. great to see she is out and about. and continuing to work. even though she is facing pretty terrible diagnosis. >> yeah, an unbelievably strong woman, such a great attitude. really amazing. hats off to her. >> yeah, she is 73 years old by the way. still going strong. >> what an inspiration. >>> all right. let's talk about simon cowell's issues, the baby mama drama. >> how could we not? how could we not? >> this comes courty of the daily news. lauren silverman, the married mother of simon cowell's baby, stepped out thursday for the first time since of the news of the affair with "the x factor" judge broke. photographed with a baby bump underneath her dress. apparently in bridgehampton, new york. they talked with carol eisenberg, that would be her mother, she spoke to "the daily news dts when -- a day after it was revealed that her daughter, married to cowell's real estat

thank you so much for being here. >> my pleasure. >> valerie harper was initially in march given, what> absolutely. i'm a six-year breast cancer survivor. i know how sometimes -- >> congratulations. >> thank you very much. you hear the statistics and the numbers. she's a true testament of someone who has her family, her husband around her. when you're offered things like dancing with the stars that gives you even something else to look forward to. she's saying this isn't going to be it. i'm going to be here past christmas. we already know that this woman has the heart, tenacity to keep this thing going. >> this is a big haul to take on "dancing with the stars." >> sure. >> we've heard others rumored to be on. >> snooki. >> got to bring it down a notch, right? >> leah remini from -- what is it? >> "king of queens." >> "king of queens." >> who would you like to see on "dance g w t st"dancing with th? >> you know who i would like to see? you would be great. white, shiny. that's not you? >> it totally is. >> what's up with this photo issue with alec baldwin, back in the news for reportedly

. >>> doctors give her months to live, but valerie harper is ignoring them, joining the cast of "dancingstars." the second hour of "newsroom" starts now. >>> good morning, thank you very much for being with economy. i'm carol costello. we begin in syria as the march toward military strikes now slows to a crawl. washington and its allies facing growing concerns at home and abroad so today the focus shifts to building a consensus. president obama reportedly bending to the demands of lawmakers. he will consult with congress. senator john cornyn says obama will hold a conference call today to brief them. we'll hear from the president in just a minute. >>> in the meantime, britain deploys a half dozen warplanes to cypress off syria's coast. russia moves ships into the mediterranean. the region goes on alert, and the u.k. goes on record sharing some of its intelligence on last week's apparent chemical weapon attack. in syria today, u.n. inspections teams try to gather more evidence, and that could be crucial. the associated press cites u.s. intelligence sources as saying the case against the a

joining her, leah remini and valerie harper.e has terminal brain cancer. glad to hear she's well enough to do that. >> peter: we danced together a few years ago on the after the show show. >> gretchen: do you remember the bump? >> peter: yes. >> gretchen: that is where our dancing skills ended, peter. right? i speak for myself. >> peter: you're a good dancer. you could be on that show. >> gretchen: you don't have to flatter me. i don't think we're allowed to do it. >> peter: okay. >> gretchen: let's talk about a fox news alert. >> eric: let's talk about that. a breaking news alert breaking overnight. the u.s. moving another aircraft carrier toward syria as another one of our allies backed out. elizabeth prann with more. >> good morning. the when continues to get pushed back as u.n. inspectors remain on the ground outside damascus until at least saturday. david ram con says he's waiting to hear their findings. it's only then his government will take a vote in parliament. here in the u.s., the president says on one hand there need