we will speak with ohio congressman denis kucinich and chuck zlatkin of the postal union. >> elderly people, disabled people, poor people and small business owners cannot afford the alternatives. >> novelist and playwright gore vidal has died at the age of 86. of that and more coming up. this is "democracy now!," democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. syrian rebels are claiming to be in control of more than half of syria's largest city of aleppo after days of clashes with government troops. the regime of president bashar al-assad has offered competing claims saying in his forced opposition fighters to retreat from key areas. the fighting in aleppo has drawn tens of thousands -- sent tens of thousands from their homes. and the residents are trapped between dangerous conditions. >> we are concerned about the continuous raging armed violence that is taking place in syria's most populous city, aleppo, where we are witnessing partners arer witnessing thousands are seeking shelters in schools, mosques, public buildings. these are the people who have not fled the city,