[Romans:] Welcome back. "Occupy Oakland" revived. The movement is calling for businesses to close and protests to rally at banks, as part of a citywide strike today. And that's triggering fears the city's strained economy could suffer even more. And across the bay in San Francisco, we wanted to know who was making up the occupy movement. CNN's Dan Simon hit the streets to find out.
[Unidentified Male:] What really should be named the California
[Dan Simon, Cnn Correspondent:] Protests are part of the Bay Area's DNA. And most are peaceful.
[Simon:] But that sense of calm was shattered last week by the violent clash with police in Oakland, after authorities sought to end the occupation in front of city hall. Across the bay, police were set to evict the protesters in San Francisco but backed off. And now, just casually monitor things from the perimeter. We wanted to get a sense of who is coming here. So, we set up an open mic.
[Patrick Carolan, Protester:] I think there's a huge discrepancy in our wealth between the upper 1 percent and lower 99 percent.
[Simon:] To allow people to say whatever they want.
[Brian Pageant, Protester:] Major focus is still economic and individual grassroots support.
[Mark Dennehy, Protester:] The reason I'm here is to give voice to the voiceless.
[Simon:] And that's how we met this 36-year-old, Mark Dennehy. He's a part time student at a community college, has a job as a caterer, and lives in an apartment with roommates. But for the last two weeks, he's been living in a tent drawn in by the national "Occupy" movement. [on camera]: How long are you prepared to stay here?
[Dennehy:] You know, I'm prepared to stay here as long as this is a fruitful mission. You know, if this lasts, if it keeps going in the positive direction and keeps up momentum, I'm here to stay until the end.
[Simon:] Some tents are filled with people like Mark, intelligent and well-spoken, angry over the direction of the country. Still, they seem to have unfocused youth looking for companionship and a good time. For organizers here, the challenge is putting out a coherent message, and not letting this be perceived as place for debauchery or a squatting area for the homeless. Is it OK for the homeless to come here?
[Unidentified Male:] Well, it is OK for the homeless to come here. It's OK for everyone to come here. We just ask for the homeless, if they come here, to, you know, just be respectful of the other people, to try to be part of the community. And, you know, there's no reason why if someone is homeless, they have a card, and they're here, that they can't make a part of contribution.
[Simon:] To pass the time, there's a place to practice yoga, play handball or just hold up signs. San Francisco city officials were concerned about unsanitary conditions so there's now plenty of portable toilets which are cleaned regularly. He says he's continuing with his normal life, but spends all of his free time as a protester. [on-camera] So, what started as a tense situation with a threat of eviction has now morphed into an easy going community in the heart of downtown San Francisco. Now, the question is whether they'll have the endurance to stay here when the rainy season begins next month. Dan Simon, CNN, San Francisco.
[Christine Romans, Cnn Anchor:] All right.
[Costello:] And this just in to CNN, an incredible train wreck rescue in Missouri. Take a look. This dash cam video shows a train slamming into a car, stuck on the tracks. Can you believe that? Only moments before, an off duty police officer noticed that vehicle, and he managed to pull the woman who is inside the car and her baby, also inside the car to safety. Both mother and child are doing OK. It's not clear how the car became stuck, but police say the woman later failed sobriety test.
[Romans:] Oh, my God! There's a baby in a car. Ronald Reagan would have turned 100 this year, and to mark the centennial, the airport that bears his name has unveiled a statue in his honor. It took nearly a million dollars and two years to make it happen, but air travelers in terminal A at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport are now being greeted by a nine-foot tall bronze likeness of America's late 40th president. All right. It's 47 minutes after the hour. Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, public college costs are skyrocketing. Public school, this is supposed to be your affordable school, right? But states are turning to students for help down within their budget because they don't already have enough debt of their own, maybe, students. We're going to show you the biggest state tuition hikes and the best tuition values.
[Costello:] And calling Jay-Z. The Los Angeles Dodgers are for sale. Could