Newark mayor to appear on 'Conan'

BURBANK, Calif., Oct. 12 (UPI) -- Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker will appear on "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" to try to end his high-profile feud with the host, NBC said.

The network announced Monday Booker will appear with O'Brien Friday.

"After O'Brien received an on-air message from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging a truce, he agreed to lift his ban of Booker from the state of California in order to settle their dispute live on 'The Tonight Show' stage," the network said in a news release. "The 'feud' began with O'Brien making a joke at the expense of Newark on the Sept. 23 broadcast of 'The Tonight Show.' After O'Brien quipped: 'The Mayor of Newark New Jersey wants to set up a citywide program to improve Newark residents' health. The health-care program would consist of a bus ticket out of Newark,' Mayor Booker responded with a YouTube video defending the city, only escalating the situation."

"I admire and respect Mayor Booker, and I look forward to our summit on 'The Tonight Show' this Friday," O'Brien said in a statement.

"My apologies for bumping Brad Pitt, J.D. Salinger and a reunited Led Zeppelin; we'll have them back real soon," he joked.