♪ ooh, and yeah i guess it wasn't meant to be but no he didn't do jack for me ♪ ♪ i want a bean with the beanstalk and if the magic ain't right time to walk ♪ ♪ used to be your baby used to be your lady thought you were the perfect lover ♪ ♪ all the harmony went fallin' out of key, so now you gotta find another now you're talkin' crazy ♪ ♪ sayin' that you made me like i was your cinderella you and me are through though ♪ ♪ watch me hit it solo i'mma do it acapella whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ i'mma do it acapella whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh oh, oh, oh, oh, oh watch me do it in falsetta ♪ ♪ whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh oh, oh, oh, oh, oh never mind bring the beat back ♪ ♪ used to be your baby used to be your lady thought you were the perfect lover ♪ ♪ all the harmony went fallin' out of key, so now you gotta find another

now you're talkin' crazy ♪ ♪ sayin' that you made me like i was your cinderella you and me are through though ♪ ♪ watch me hit it solo i'mma do it acapella whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ i'mma do it acapella yeah ♪ [ cheers and applause ] karmin, with her song. i want to thank michael b. jordan, and todd rundgren, i want to apologize to matt damon. "nightline" is next. good night.

tonight on "nightline," self-defense or murder? the defense rests in the george zimmerman trial in a courtroom where tensions are running high. what did zimmerman say? >> don't want to testify. >> what was the prosecutor doing with a foam dummy and what will closing arguments bring as america braces for a verdict? the fast and fabulous, she is the only full-time female nascar pit crew member. this is dangerous and dirty work. so how is this bombshell received in the garage by the guys? and how will she respond when we ask is she a real player or just a publicity stunt. and call of the wild. what happens when man and beast

communicate via saxophone? that's in tonight's "feed frenzy." >> keep it right here, america, "nightline" is back in just 60 seconds.

from new york city, this is "nightline," with dan harris. >> good evening, it is really coming down to the wire tonight in the trial that is both captivating and polarizing america. the defense rested today. and very soon, the jury of six women will decide if george zimmerman will go free or spend the rest of his life in prison, perhaps. whatever they decide is likely to enrage millions of americas. police in florida are bracing for the worst. abc's matt gutman is on the story. >> have you made a decision on whether or not you want to testify in this case? >> i object to that question. i think that's -- >> overruled. >> reporter: tensions boiled over in court today as judge deborah nelson demanded that george zimmerman answers the

question on everyone's minds for months. will he finally take the stand in his own murder trial? >> mr. zimmerman, have you made a decision on whether or not you want testify in this case? >> no, not at this time, no. >> reporter: later, she asked again. finally, he gave his answer. >> and what is your decision, sir? >> after consulting with counsel, not to testify. >> reporter: he didn't testify but it was the most he's spoken in court in the 21 days since this contentious trial began. with that the defense rested its case. seemingly confident it had established to the six-person, all-female jury that when he former neighborhood watchman shot and killed 17-year-old trayvon martin in february 2012, it was an act of self-defense. >> the jury has already heard him give his version of events, right? so it doesn't make a lot of sense for him to get on the stand, the jury won't hold it against him if he doesn't. >> reporter: in a dramatic day in court the prosecution presented a mannequin during the

questioning of a defense witness law enforcement officer. >> were you aware that the defendant described to his best friend that when he slid down, the defense slid down, that trayvon martin was up around his arm pits? were you aware of that? >> no, i had not heard that, no, sir. >> reporter: curious jurors and even the defense team crane their necks to see. some even stood up. >> okay, where would the gun be now? >> now, the gun would be behind your left leg. >> okay. >> reporter: then the defense had its turn at show and tell. the defense claims zimmerman shot martin in self-defense as the 17-year-old pounded his head into the pavement. >> were the injuries on the back of zimmerman's head consistent with someone doing this on cement? >> i don't think so. >> how about this? how about somebody resisting the attempt, the injuries, the two lacerations, could that have come from cement? if somebody was resisting me pushing down?

like this? >> i believe so. >> reporter: it was one of the many theatrical moments in a trial that has captivated the nation for weeks. the defense scored an early victory when it grilled the star defense, rachel jeantel, on the phone with trayvon martin moments before the shooting. she said he was scared that night, but the defense went after her credibility. >> for all you know, trayvon martin could have been smashing george zimmerman in the face is actually what you heard? >> what? >> yeah, earlier today. >> by who? >> reporter: and then another blow nor the prosecution. lead investigator chris serino whose testimony seemed to bolster the defense's case stated zimmerman's story about the testimony that night was remarkably consistent. >> was there anywhere else in this case where you thought he may be a pathological liar? >> no. >> reporter: it was a case not without gaffes, nosably from

defense attorney west whose opening argument began with a joke. >> knock, knock, who is there? george zimmerman, george zimmerman who? all right, good, you're on the jury. >> reporter: and then he drew criticism for that relentless cross examination of martin's friend, rachel jeantel, even exposing her limited literacy. >> can you read any of the words on it? >> i don't understand. cursive, i don't read cursive. >> reporter: the day after that appearance, this went viral. west posing with his daughters, one of them posting it on instagram. saying we beat stupidity, with the hash tag, daddy killed it. west apologized for the incident, and said there were death threats to his family. the tension, long hours, taking

their toll on the attorneys. tuesday night, a procedural hearing about this 3d a animation turned into a marathon eight-hour hearing. the attorneys attacking each other. look closely, defense attorney mark o'meara almost physically restraining west. >> not be able to prepare or get my witnesses gathered for tomorrow. and i can't do it tonight. >> i'll see you at 8:00 in the morning. >> i'm not physically able to run this case much longer. it's 10:00 at night, we started this morning -- we've had full days every day. weekends, depositions at night. >> reporter: the prosecution's strategy was to hammer away at zimmerman's credibility, highlighting any inconsistencies during the trial. >> there were two people involved here, one of them is dead and one of them is a liar. >> reporter: and one of the crucial questions at stake, who was heard yelling for help on the various 911 calls the night of the shooting.

>> do you know whose voice that is in the background screaming? >> yes, definitely, it is georgy. >> reporter: the defense called a parade of witnesses, friends of george zimmerman, to the stand. all of them said they could make out the same voice. >> i thought it was george. >> there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that is george zimmerman. and i wish to god i did not have that ability to understand that. >> reporter: but the jury also heard emotional testimony from trayvon martin's parents, who disagreed. >> who do you recognize that to be? >> trayvon benjamin martin. >> i was listening to my son's last cry for help. i was listening to his life being taken -- and i was coming -- trying to come to grips that trayvon martin was here no more. >> reporter: closing arguments in the trial will begin tomorrow. and then the case will go to the jury. >> closing arguments are going to be the key to this trial. this trial is all about summation and putting that picture in front of the jury.

>> reporter: regardless of what they decide, sanford police chief cecil smith is preparing for a potentially hostile response from the community. >> what percentage of the police force is going to be ready in anticipation of what happens? >> our entire police department. >> everybody? >> there's no vacation, there's no furloughs. unless you're off sick and you have to be physically off sick, you will be working at some point. >> raise your voice. >> we need to stand together as one, no cuffs, no guns. >> reporter: it's not just sanford bracing for the worst. the sheriff's office releasing this psa tried to encourage residents to stay peaceful. in the event of any verdict. >> no need to act up. >> reporter: and if the verdict goes his way, zimmerman, for one, hopes that everyone will follow that advice. >> he's very worried about his safety, personal safety, going forward. because the same people who portended fear and mate read leading up to this trial probably are not going to accept an acquittal.

>> reporter: matt gutman for "nightline," abc news, in sanford, florida. >> these are tense days in florida. and again, those crucial closing arguments starting tomorrow. coming up on "nightline," a very different kind of story. how did this woman become the first full-time female member of a nascar pit crew? how are the guys treating her? ♪ [ male announcer ] harvey's i'm so happy you're home dance. that's real love. and so is giving him real tasty food. but some leading dog foods add sugar, dyes, or even artificial preservatives. [ dog whimpers ] but now there's new so good! from iams. with 100% real wholesome ingredients and none of those other things. now that's real love. so is that. new so good! see what's really in your dog's bowl at iams.com.

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her name is christmas, and she has many gifts. her full name is christmas joy abbott, for the record, she is beautiful, successful, and

probably in good enough shape to kick your butt. and she has managed to smash through one of the thickest glass ceilings in all of sports. the nascar pit crew. here is hannah storm from our sister network espn. >> reporter: it's one of the hottest workouts in the country, cross fit. and this woman, 31-year-old christmas joy abbott, is the face of this fitness craze. she's sold thousands of videos. >> nice work. >> reporter: has a handful of lucrative sponsorship deals, owns her own gym, and is worth close to $1 million. so why is she doing this? it's one of the least glamorous, hardest jobs in sports. being the anonymous, unsung member of a nascar pit crew. it's the ultimate high pressure job. oh, and one other thing, it's a job that until now has always been done by men.

only men. christmas is out to change all that. trying to break the barrier and become the first woman to go over the wall in nascar's biggest stage, the sprint cup series. it's that job that requires strength, athleticism, and above all, speed. 12 seconds. that's how long you have during a nascar pit stop. even an extra second could mean losing the race. >> has there ever been a time when you felt like you didn't belong here? >> i think in the very beginning, anything you try that's so new, you always feel like you're the odd one out. >> reporter: for abbott, the journey began 17 years ago after a devastating car accident. when you were 13, you were involved in a car wreck that changed a lot of things for you. what happened? >> my sister, myself and my sister's best friend was in the wreck. and it just derailed me completely.

so then i started doing whatever kind of presented itself. instead of saying no i started saying yes to trying different things. they weren't always good decisions. >> reporter: like drugs, alcohol? >> drugs, alcohol, sneaking out. >> reporter: were you depressed? >> i was absolutely depressed. >> reporter: christmas made an unlikely decision to save her own life. she went to iraq as a contractor. doing laundry for the army. and that proved to be just the sort of cleansing christmas abbott needed. how did it change your life, being there? doing that routine every day for years? >> when i got overseas there was a clear divide to the type of people there. i was a liability. i was not going to be able to get up and take care of myself and get out of the way. and at 22 years old i was the one they were going to have to take care of. >> reporter: it was in iraq where she was introduced to the cross fit workout that would end up making her a huge success. >> this guy comes up to me with

a laptop, he shows me a video and it's these teeny little girls like my size throwing this heavyweight around and just getting after it. and i was just so floored i wanted to be a part of it. >> reporter: after four years in iraq, christmas came home and opened up her own cross fit gym in north carolina, the heart of racing country. that's when nascar had the idea to recruit a female pit crew member. with various women looking to showcase their skills, christmas won out. >> to me it was just a play day, and i ended up excelling at hitting the lug nuts. >> reporter: it took her to a place no woman had ever been. michael waltrip, a racer over 30 years, now a team owner, decided to sign christmas to a contract making her the first female ever to have a full-time deal to work on a nascar team. but did she get the deal because she deserved it?

or was this waltrip's way to create buzz? there are people who criticize it as flat-out publicity stunt. what do you say to that? >> we do get a lot of publicity out of it. that's good. >> reporter: that's part of the game. >> that's part of it but this is not a publicity stunt. christmas's commitment is to be a part of the team that goes over the wall and makes the pit stops, think what you want, but stand become and watch watch, and she has what it takes to be able to get there. >> reporter: and christmas doesn't shy away from publicity as in this recent shoot for "inked" magazine. >> reporter: you posed nude in "inked" magazine. >> well, i had heels on in inked magazine. >> reporter: oh, right, okay. what role does your sexuality play? >> i love my body for what it can do for me and my performance. it is kind of a little bit of a power house body. and you're probably going to see me when i'm 80 running around in a teeny bikini at the beach. >> reporter: greg miller is a trainer for all of michael waltrip racing pit crew team.

he's been around the sport for decades. i would imagine there is some resentment. at all of the attention. >> i think there is, most of it is unspoken but i think there's times people look and go, there's a female, what's she trying to do? it's our sport. for me it's all about the stopwatch. i don't care who they are, i don't care what they look like. if you can give me the stop that i need that's going to help our team succeed, you're going to be the one that's in. >> reporter: but as good as she is, so far the times for her tire changes are still two seconds too slow, a virtual lifetime in racing, which so far has kept her out of the elite nascar sprint cup races. the pace is grueling. you're throwing this thing around like it was nothing. as i found out when she let me try it. my time? you don't even want to know. for "nightline," i'm hannah storm in charlotte, north carolina. >> my money is definitely on christmas, she will get there. coming up, a surprising, and rather beautiful thing that

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this is the age of taking action. could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. yep, everybody knows that. well, did you know some owls aren't that wise? don't forget i'm having brunch with meghan tomorrow. who? meghan, my coworker. who? seriously? you've met her like three times. who? (sighs) geico. fifteen minutes could save you...well, you know.

an actual bona fide american mayor who only recently was wearing diapers, a star who is making a huge leap, and an animal experiment that is truly amazing to watch. those are the ingredients in a nightly stew we call "feed frenzy." mini mayor. everybody's seen the extremely viral kid president. >> life is not a cereal, either. >> now he has competition. this be robert robby tuft. he is 4 years old and running for re-election as mayor of dorsett, minnesota. population, fewer than 30 people. the mayor was elected last year, with scandal-free politicians as rare as unicorns, the population finds him refreshing.

he's running on a chocolate platform -- >> because it tastes good. new friends for hasselbeck, this one is a more grown-up political story. elizabeth hasselbeck has come a long way from her "survivor" days. after ten years on "the view," hasselbeck is leaving to work on "fox and friends," the morning show on fox news. during her time at the table with barbara walters and whoopi, she's often provided a conservative viewpoint. today on "the view" she said good-bye. >> the past ten years has been nothing short of extraordinary. >> underwater sax. i need to pronounce that correctly so you don't get the wrong idea. check out this rather beautiful science experiment. it involves a leopard seal. these animals sing to their mates under water. a zoo no australia sent a sax player to join the serenade to see how the animals would react. the little guy is dancing.