congress for permission to kill them. >> we're tracking herds through the plains of utah. and a stunning announcement. ♪ sweet caroline "sweet caroline" singer neil diamond shocking his fans tonight. but first here, the "nightline" 5. and number 1 is hey hun. look at all this extra room i have on this king size ikea bed. are you wearing a... duvet cover? why yes. yes i am. where's mom? we finally redid our bedroom and she's prettttttttttty into it. what's your dream? at ikea, we help you live it. make the dream yours. hey hun. look at all this extra room i have on this king size ikea bed. are you wearing a... duvet cover? why yes. yes i am. where's mom? we finally redid our bedroom and she's prettttttttttty into it. what's your dream? at ikea, we help you live it. make the dream yours. ♪ good evening and thank you for joining us. the government may be back in business tonight, but while washington was struggling to strike a deal over the weekend hundreds of thousands of women took to the streets. it's a movement some are calling a pink wave, and it started as a ripple of frustration that some women may now be riding all the way to washington. >> donald trump has got to go! >> reporter: amidst the sea of signs and hats at the new jersey women's march in morristown mikey sherrill, here with her daughter, is one of the latest women to throw her hat in the political ring. running for new jersey's 11th district congressional seat. >> we're taking on a fight for the very soul of this country. we're taking on a fight to protect our values, to protect what we think america stands for. and we can do this together. >> reporter: this mother of four coaches her children's soccer and lacrosse teams. she's also a former navy pilot and federal prosecutor who decided to run, she says, after becoming disenchanted with the 22-year republican incumbent. >> serving my country for my entire adult life. to be here and have a congressperson who wouldn't meet with his constituents, that just offended my sense of democracy. >> reporter: so she's here joining the throngs of womening marching worldwide for the second annual women's march. since last year they've moved beyond the clever signs and chants. they're now part of a so-called pink wave, with thousands of women turning their anger into political activism. the statistics are striking. 389 women are running for the u.s. house of representatives. 49 women are running for the u.s. senate. and 79 women are running for governor. >> the largest surge of women running for elective office at the federal level and for governors around the country than we've ever seen. >> reporter: this has been called the year of the woman. where they stood up -- >> we are strong. we are brave. and we will fight! >> reporter: and told their stories. >> we are here. we have our voices. and we are not going anywhere. >> reporter: from the halls of capitol hill. >> i will not be silenced on this issue. >> reporter: to the stage at the golden globes. >> so i want all the girls watching here and now to know that a new day is on the horizon! >> reporter: putting a spotlight on the issue of sexual assault and harassment. >> i've been talking about being a sexual assault survivor for over two decades now. >> reporter: the courage to speak sparked in part by last year's women's march. and this weekend the march marked the return of those pink pussycat hats, a nod to donald trump's infamous "access hollywood" tape. >> hello. >> when you're a star they let you do it. you can do anything. >> whatever you want. >> grab them by the [ bleep ]. >> reporter: mikie sherrill, a democrat-s running as the antithesis to trump and his policies. and at least here at this march it's a popular stance. >> mikie sherrill, she is going to win. >> yeah. >> she is going to be our next congresswoman from the great state of new jersey. >> i think she stands for integrity. i think she stands for fairness. i think she'll stand up to the trump-mcconnell agenda. >> reporter: but while sherrill's politics may be popular in this traditionally blue state, some women in the rest of the country say this wave of feminism has no place for them. >> unfortunately, for women who hold pro-life views or perhaps are open to the idea that president trump might abe a did president there's a real feeling they're not welcome at these marches. but you don't have to give up your beliefs to be part of that conversation. >> reporter: in new jersey mikie sherrill is one of eight women running for public office, all but one a democrat. sherrill is backed in part by the progressive group emily's list, an organization that helps women run for public office. >> i went down to a friend of mine in d.c. she said you've got to go to emily's list. >> reporter: this year emily's list has seen a surge of interest in running for office. >> this is all too often where women on the republican side of the aisle struggle to get elected. it's just harder if you don't have that specific kind of old boys' network. >> these outside organizations that are doing work to support women who are running for office are critical. giving women who are out there who might not get the kind of traditional support, that extra push, that extra support that they need. >> reporter: women helping women seems to be a key part of this wave. with prominent female celebrities getting involved. >> there is work to be done. there are songs to be sung. lord knows there's a war to be won. >> reporter: in new york this past weekend the actress amber tamblyn came out to a training event held by the non-partisan group vote run lead. >> sisters and allies, i stand here before you today to say not anymore. >> asking to hold space for all women. and i just think that we're looking at an era in which women are no longer asking to be part of the conversation, they're demanding it. >> reporter: tamblyn has been a big part of the conversation this past year. sharing her experience with sexual assault in a "new york times" op-ed saying in part, "we are learning that the more we open our mouths the more we become a choir and the more we are a choir the more the tune is forced to change." >> this is a revolution of women. >> reporter: vote run lead holds training sessions like these to teach women how to campaign, fund-raise, and choose the right office for them. is it possible to be a conservative and a feminist? >> i think it's absolutely possible to be a conservative and a feminist. i think there are lots of conservative women who believe that if feminism means women should be politically, economically, legally equal then yes, they're on board with that message. >> reporter: velardi says her group challenges the notion that republican women are left out. vote run lead says many of its candidates don't even affiliate with a party. >> we're getting tons of young millennial republican women who are coming and looking for a home. >> reporter: vilardi's group calls its approach run as where you and says it's working. >> vote run lead had a 70% win rate for our first-time candidates in 2017. that is unheard of. [ applause ] >> reporter: if there's any doubt that groups such as these are succeeding -- >> i do solemnly swear -- >> reporter: -- look no further than virginia. this past november nine state legislative seats were flipped by women. 11 total women won, giving virginia its highest number of female members of the house of delegates in recent history. all of the winners were backed by emerge virginia, part of a national organization promoting democratic female candidates that boasts a 70% win rate. >> so help me god. >> sworn in this weekend, the freshman class including paula ayala, one of the first latina delegates. >> i'm so happy to serve. >> kathy tran, one of the first asian-american delegates and pregnant during her campaign. >> but today i want to thank the women in the sisterhood. >> reporter: and danica rome, the first openly transgender person elected to any u.s. state legislature. >> when we can't change their minds, we change their seats. >> reporter: rome's historic victory held even greater significance given she defeated bob marshall, who held the seat for 25 years and had a strong anti-lgbtq stance even calling himself virginia's chief homophobe. >> put your hand on the bible. >> reporter: there have been some wins, but the 2018 campaign season is just beginning. women are underrepresented at nearly every level of office, holding only roughly 20% of elected seats at the federal and state levels. but women are emerging as an ever-growing source of political power. and it's not just the women who are running for office. >> in alabama we saw that certainly among black women voters, where the driving force in the election of doug jones. and if that energy and that momentum continues, 2018 could be a year that breaks the mold and breaks our assumptions about challengers. and this could be the year of the challenger. >> it's the food that we have been hungry for. this is the moment for women to become a permanent mapart of leadership in this country. next here, meet the wild horses in the wild west. and a horse trainer taefrpg us how to tame a stallion. than just a bathroom disease. you're a life of unpredictable symptoms. crohn's, you've tried to own us. but now it's our turn to take control with stelara® stelara® works differently for adults with moderately to severely active crohn's disease. studies showed relief and remission, with dosing every 8 weeks. stelara® may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections and cancer. some serious infections require hospitalization. before treatment, get tested for tuberculosis. before or during treatment, always tell your doctor if you think you have an infection or have flu-like symptoms or sores, have had cancer, or develop any new skin growths, or if anyone in your house needs or recently had a vaccine. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems, including headaches, seizures, confusion, and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. some serious allergic reactions can occur. do not take stelara® if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. we're fed up with your unpredictability. remission can start with stelara®. talk to your doctor today. janssen wants to help you explore cost support options for stelara®. use pantene shampoo together with 3 minute miracle daily conditioner. their pro-v formula is like a multi-vitamin. making your hair 2x stronger see the difference when you add 3 minute miracle daily conditioner. ...that is, until you taste our new menu. discover more ways to enjoy seafood with new tasting plates small plates, with big flavor- like yucatan shrimp in chili-lime butter and caramelized pineapple. and if you like hot, buttery maine lobster, check out this petite red lobster roll. for new entrees, explore globally-inspired dishes like spicy dragon shrimp. and now, when you order any two new or classic entrees, you get a free tasting plate. so get your coupon at redlobster.com and join us today! so get your coupon at breathe freely fast wmy congestion's gone. i can breathe again! i can breathe again! vicks sinex... breathe on. it's just my eczema again,t. but it's fine. yeah, it's fine. you ok? eczema. it's fine. hey! hi! aren't you hot? eczema again? it's fine. i saw something the other day. eczema exposed. your eczema could be something called atopic dermatitis, which can be caused by inflammation under your skin. maybe you should ask your doctor? go to eczemaexposed.com to learn more. . wild horses have long had a place in american folklore. but do they still have a place in america? the few that are left roam on public lands under government watch. and some advocates say the agency charged with keeping them alive is mismanaging them to the point of extinction. abc's gloria riviera journeyed into the wild to learn more. >> reporter: a wild mustang charging across an open plain. a simple of the untamed majesty of nature. but the predator chasing these horses is anything but natural. >> you can see the terror and the fear. >> reporter: this is a helicopter roundup commissioned by the u.s. bureau of land management, or blm. >> sometimes these horses get stampeded for miles and miles. we feel that the american people has a right to know what's happening out here in the wild west. >> reporter: it's a controversial practice where horses are herded off public lands and sometimes permanently put into holding facilities in an effort to control their population. but now the government is considering allowing the slaughter of these animals for the first time in nearly 50 years. putting the lives of thousands of horses at stake. most of america's estimated 75,000 wild horses live on public lands. vast expanses that the government controls. but to find the mustangs you need to know where to look. jim schneppel knows this range and its horses well. >> we are going to go out and see hopefully the big herd of horses on the north end of davis mountain. >> he works with a non-profit desperately trying to find a humane and effective way to control the horse population. because although this land seems limitless the blm says the resources here can only allot for the survival of so many. >> they've set what they call appropriate management levels, aml. it ranges between about 120 to 180 horses. and we think that's far too low. >> reporter: my god, they're so beautiful. being able to be out in the wild with this herd of wild horses, it's really unlike anything i've ever experienced before. >> anybody who loves horses can tell you there's this natural connection you can develop with them. >> reporter: but horses aren't the only animals on the range. bureau of land management controls 1/8 of the country's land mass but leases over 60% of it to ranchers. because their livestock rely on the same resources the wild horses do, some ranchers want the horses pushed off the land. >> what are the options after roundup for these horses? >> what they'll initially do is go to one of the local holding facilities, those that are unlikely to get adopt or get passed over typically they'll get put into long-term holding. blm has contracts with ranchers, pays them so much per day to keep the horses. >> just keep them there. >> reporter: there are over 45,000 wild horses currently in holding areas, costing taxpayers about $50 million annually. an expense the u.s. department of the interior sought to address in its 2018 budget. by lifting regulations that prevent slaughtering wild horses. >> blm, the very agency in charge of protecting them, is asking congress for permission to kill them. they've stockpiled wild horses in holding pens. now we have a bunch of wild horses that the taxpayers are paying for in holding facilities and their solution is kill them. >> reporter: but the blm maintains the activists and the agency both want what's best for the animals and denies that any of their practices are cruel. >> just as with any type of species, they have to be managed just so that they don't become overpopulated and diseased. and our gol is to always have healthy horses on healthy range lands. >> reporter: but the key battle for wild horses won't be fought in the west. their fate will be decided here in washington, where congress will decide if the interior department's budget allowing for slaughter will be enacted. >> 84% of donald trump's voters oppose the slaughter of wild horses. and a very narrow band of people are for it because they profit from it. >> those opposed to wild horses continuing to be free say it costs as much as a billion dollars over ten years. does that number seem reasonable to you? >> no, it doesn't. they're estimating that you have to remove all these horses and put them into holding and pay for them, which is simply not the case. >> this is our dart gun. this is called the jm standard. >> reporter: advocates also say the government hasn't invested enough in targeting alternate solutions to population control. >> oh! wow. >> reporter: jim hopes darting mares are birth control will mean far fewer foals. >> that's a serious hypodermic needle, though. >> yeah. >> reporter: with more horses left to live free on the range for much less than it costs to keep them corralled. >> the dart's about two bucks and the medicine goes, in it's about 26 bucks. >> reporter: and for the horses that are rounded up, a lucky few make it to places like this where people like ellie price are dedicated to turning these wild mustangs into companion animals. >> once they've been channeled and trained they're usually kind of on the quiet side, actually. >> reporter: she cares for over 200 at her california ranch. >> i don't think people have any idea that a wild mustang can be ridden like this. >> probably not. these horses are gentle now. so i don't even think of them as wild mustangs anymore. but this horse was born in the wild. >> reporter: the process of training a wild horse is not usually an easy one. >> he doesn't like me to be in this eye. >> reporter: she says he's trying but you see his whole body shakes. it makes you think of a small child shaking. >> reporter: trainers work painstakingly to acclimate these horses to a human's touch. >> it's important he sees it in both sides. so it doesn't terrify him. i can drop the pad. >> nancy was able to get that saddle on for the very first time and he did not flinch. he's doing everything she asks him to do. >> what i hope people will take away from seeing our horses is that they have value. but the big picture is that wild horses need to stay in the wild on public lands. >> reporter: what makes you smile when you look at these horses out here? >> they are basically our american spirit. the living remnants of a long past. these horses were here before our ancestors ever got here. so how lucky are we that we can still come out here and you can really feel like you're in the wild west. and we can still see wild horses. >> reporter: for "nightline" i'm gloria riviera on the inaki range in utah. next here, singer of "sweet caroline" neil diamond with a stunning announcement about his plans for the future. ♪ so good, so good kelly! we're out of body wash! what are you doing?? i thought you had a cold?? i don't need all this. mucinex fast-max is powerful enough to handle pretty much every symptom. name one. how 'bout 9? sore throat, cough, even... yea--i can read, you know. we're done here. ahhh! boogers to betsy! mucinex fast-max. 9 symptoms. 1 dose. max strength. start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this. and for kid's multi-symptom relief, try #1 recommended children's mucinex. 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