NEWARK, N.J. -Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who has garnered national attention for his passionate defense of New Jersey's largest city, is taking his act to the "Tonight Show." Host Conan O'Brien has been engaged in a playful feud with Booker since Sept. 23 and scheduled the 40-year-old mayor as a guest on his show Friday.

The exchange began last month when O'Brien poked fun at Booker's new health care plan for gritty Newark, saying it consisted of a bus ticket out of town. Booker fought back with a humorous response on YouTube in which he "banned" the 46-year-old from Newark Liberty International Airport.

SIMON SUES STARBUCKS OVER '08 ALBUM

SEATTLE — Singer Carly Simon is suing Starbucks Corp., saying the coffee company's now-defunct music venture didn't adequately promote her 2008 album, dooming the record before it was even released.

The singer, whose biggest success came during the 1970s and '80s, is seeking unspecified damages related to the release of the 14-track "This Kind of Love" in April 2008.

In a lawsuit filed Friday with California's Los Angeles County Superior Court, Simon and her attorneys said the album wasn't available in "a substantial number" of Starbucks stores during the key early months following its release. Later, when the disc was stocked, the Seattle-based company slashed the price — suggesting it was an album that could not be sold at full price, the claim said.

BLOOM NAMED UNICEF AMBASSADOR

NEW YORK — UNICEF has named actor Orlando Bloom its good will ambassador in recognition of his commitment to children's rights around the world.

UNICEF said yesterday that Bloom, best known for his roles in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Lord of the Rings" films, plans to focus on raising awareness of the global organization and advocating for needy children worldwide.

HANKS STILL IN TOUCH WITH OHIO ROOTS

CLEVELAND — Tom Hanks says he still has fond memories of his first acting job, which kept him working into the early morning changing sets on a high school stage. Hanks was in Cleveland yesterday to raise money for a new home for the Ohio theater troupe that gave him that early break. The Oscar winner's first performances were with the Great Lakes Theater Festival in 1977 at Lakewood High School.