[Don Lemon, Cnn Anchor:] Tonight, we go behind the numbers. Real stories, real people, just like you, "The Faces of Recession." Ice-bound. Hundreds of fishermen trapped in the middle of icy Lake Erie.
[Unidentified Male:] You've got to have common sense. And if there was a section in the code about common sense, we would have had 150 arrests out there today.
[Lemon:] What were they thinking? We asked one of the rescued men. History of a hate crime. Now half a century later, they meet.
[Unidentified Male:] I feel like I have to apologize to the world.
[Lemon:] A former KKK member asks a high-profile Congress man to forgive brutality and extreme racism. Both men confront their past on this broadcast. Plus, the greatest play of his life. A basketball player saves a little boy's life during the game. The news starts right now.
[Unidentified Announcer:] Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Don Lemon.
[Lemon:] Good evening, everyone. Saturday night, just not the same anymore in this dismal economy. Many of you are staying home, a night out just too expensive. So we sit here together and watch lawmakers haggle over what goes in and what should be taken out of this giant stimulus package. Senators were at it again today, a Saturday. Their urgency fueled by Friday's horrifying unemployment numbers. But so far, all they've come up with is a new $780 billion compromise, plenty of them, even the president, find things not to their liking. But it's looking like there will be just enough support to pass it come Tuesday. The compromise cuts $100 billion out of the original bill, but even after it passes the Senate, it will have to be reconciled with the house version. One Republican moderate says the process must not be used to change the terms of the Senate compromise.
[Sen. Susan Collins , Maine:] If the bill comes back from the conference committee with a lot of wasteful spending reinserted or if it comes back in excess of the $800 billion, it will not have my support.
[Lemon:] In his weekly radio address to the nation today, President Barack Obama turned up the heat on lawmakers.
[Barack Obama, President Of The United States Of America:] Because if we don't move swiftly to put this plan in motion, our economic crisis could become a national catastrophe. Millions of Americans will lose their jobs, their homes, and their health care. Millions more will have to put their dreams on hold.
[Lemon:] Well, Senate Democrats originally submitted a whopping $900 billion package but they backed off to $780 billion. $14 billion for Pell Grants still in. So is $3.5 billion for energy-efficient federal buildings, $7.5 billion for education grants. But what's out now, $25 billion for education, $16 billion for school construction, and $122 million for Coast Guard Cutters and Icebreakers. The economy is sure to be the focus of President Barack Obama's first primetime news conference on Monday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. CNN will carry it live for you. The numbers are frightening, but when they hit your home, they are downright devastating.
[Cory Clapsaddle, Laid-off Worker:] With the economy and the lack of jobs, you know, there's people out there losing homes left and right. I was the sole breadwinner for this family. I think the biggest factor, the one that stressed me out the most, I didn't want to lose my family's home.
[Lemon:] Cory Clapsaddle one of the many faces of recession. He followed his father into one of Maine's paper mills, now he's out of work. His story later on this hour. We're listening to you, tonight. Here's what one viewer says, "I'm handling the recession by hoping that President Obama's plan for green jobs becomes a reality and not more political talk." Another viewer writes, "Wondering if I'll ever pay back my student loans for med school or if I should have stayed at the Gap as a sales associate." Make sure you become part of our show. Join us on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or iReport.com. Dozens of people trapped. One even died after an icy-lake rescue today. The Coast Guard plucked 134 fishermen from a giant ice floe on Lake Erie near Toledo. The massive miles long ice sheath shifted and at least two people ended up in the water. Listen to what a local sheriff said about the fishermen.
[Voice Of Sheriff Bob Bratton, Ottawa County, Ohio:] These people should not have been out there. I take a whole different approach. In our financial status going across the country, this was wrong. These people endangered lives of the volunteer firemen, the United States Coast Guard. I have estimated already we're well over $25,000 for this, and I'm sure that's going to climb. I'm sorry a man lost his life out there today. These people should have known better.
[Lemon:] One of the rescued fisherman fired right back tonight.
[Cory Comar, Rescued From Ice Floe:] He doesn't know the situation. First of all, that there was an ice breaker. A boat that drove through around 9:00, 10:00. It broke the ice up. Allowed the ice to be able to give away. So the combination of the wind and the ice breaker made this situation this situation normally doesn't happen. This is the first warm day we've had. The ice was at least 16 inches thick. And we pay taxes. He had to do his job. And it's very disappointing to hear him say that. It's all part of his job. I'm sorry that he had to do his job.
[Lemon:] Comar says the fisherman played it safe out there. By the way, he says he is not going fishing ice fishing ever again. From ice to fire, arson to be specific. To Coatesville, Pennsylvania now, where there's a $20,000 reward to catch serial arsonist. City leaders now count at least 23 deliberate fires this year all or near the City of Coatesville, just outside Philly. 15 last year. The most recent one, however, is a mobile home fire last night. No one was hurt. The state is giving Coatesville $500,000 dollars in relief. Overseas now to Australia and what could be the worst outbreak of wildfires in a quarter century. The death toll is climbing by the hour in southeast Australia. At least 35 people are dead. Temperatures are cooler, helping thousands of firefighters on the front lines but not enough to gain control. So far, about 30,000 acres charred at least 100 homes reportedly destroyed. Real people, real problems.
[Unidentified Male:] The people that are out there, that have lost their jobs, they feel like they failed. My heart's with them.
[Lemon:] Facing unemployment and an uncertain future, we take a closer look at "The Faces of Recession." And later
[Unidentified Female:] There was a knock at the door and the doctor was like, Marvelyn, I have something more serious to tell you. And I looked at him and I said, am I pregnant? He was like, no, you're HIV positive. And I just looked at him.
[Lemon:] The AIDS crisis ravaging the African-American community with black women in its bull's-eye. Tough talk next.