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Jane Lynch fondly remembered her former “Glee” co-star Naya Rivera today as “a force” whose talent was under-recognized. Lynch spoke about Rivera during the fourth hour of the “Today” show on Wednesday, speaking with Jenna Bush Hager. The 33-year-old Rivera died last month from drowning in a California lake. “She was a force of nature, …

The need certainly seems to be there. Unless you ask Joe Judge. The first-year head coach knows more than anyone what he has on his roster and when he scans the list of cornerbacks, there is James Bradberry as a given and then everyone else as, well, something else. As situations go, this one appears …

Trini Lopez, a singer and guitarist who gained fame for his versions of “Lemon Tree” and “If I Had a Hammer” in the 1960s and took his talents to Hollywood, died Tuesday. He was 83. Filmmaker P. David Ebersole, who just finished shooting a documentary on Lopez with Todd Hughes, confirmed that Lopez died from …

Raymond Allen, an actor who had memorable recurring roles on classic ’70s sitcoms “Sanford and Son” and “Good Times,” died yesterday of a non-COVID respiratory illness at a long-term care facility in California. He was 91. Allen’s death was announced by his daughter, Ta Ronce Allen, on a Facebook post yesterday. The actor was best …

The Knicks confirmed Kenny Payne as the first addition to Tom Thibodeau’s new coaching staff, prying away John Calipari’s longtime right-hand man and bringing him from Kentucky to the Garden. “I’m thrilled that Kenny has joined my staff as an assistant coach. He has an outstanding ability to forge relationships with players and improve their …

You ask, we answer. The Post is fielding questions from readers about New York’s biggest pro sports teams and getting our beat writers to answer them in a series of regularly published mailbags. In today’s installment: the Knicks. What are [Tom] Thibodeau’s and new management’s thoughts on Dennis Smith Jr.’s future as a Knick? He …

Screenwriter Kurt Luedtke, known for his Oscar-winning adapted screenplay “Out of Africa,” died on Sunday. He was 80. The Detroit Free Press reported that the Luedtke, who worked at the newspaper during the 1960s and ’70s, passed away after a long illness in a Michigan hospital. Luedtke, a Michigan native, first worked in journalism before …

Martin Birch, the British music producer whose credits include albums by Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Whitesnake and Black Sabbath, has died. He was 71. News of his death was revealed by Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale on Twitter on Aug. 9. The cause of death is as yet unknown. “It is with a very heavy heart …

The creator of “The Walking Dead” has won a legal battle to block a cannabis-themed comic strip titled “The Toking Dead.” AMC waged war with the creators of “Toking Dead” — about friends who open a marijuana dispensary, and when everyone mutates into zombies, weed saves humanity — from registering the name as a trademark. …

Andrew Yang is concerned the Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau coaching hire might not be the right fit. Nor is Yang convinced the Knicks new administration can change the team’s fortunes with James Dolan as owner. The former Democratic presidential candidate who participated in seven debates believes he has reason for skepticism. The 45-year-old Westchester native had …