Newark Mayor Ups the Ante on Conan O’Brien

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - The mayor of New Jersey’s largest city has raised the stakes in his facetious feud with ‘Tonight Show’ host Conan O’Brien, saying the late-night comic is now banned from the state.

A video of Newark Mayor Cory Booker posted Thursday on YouTube is Booker’s latest response to O’Brien’s mockery of his city.

It comes after a two-minute segment Wednesday night by O’Brien, who pretended to extol Newark’s virtues while showing images of urban neglect. A reference to its arts scene was accompanied by a graffiti-covered wall.

The exchange began last week with O’Brien joking that the city’s new health care program consisted of a bus ticket out of Newark. Booker responded Tuesday with a YouTube video “banning” O’Brien from Newark Liberty International Airport.

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