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ACROSS

 1 Ultimately, saddest tear to go viral (5)

 4 Those who aren’t expert mostly gather to admit true failing (8)

 9 “Looking at the eyes of a cat” in slightly rewritten poetry (9)

10 Branch following Celsius scale (5)

11 Fifty-nine shredded sheets (5)

12 Pitiful distance holding back shows (9)

13 Proponent of government control “fudged” (sic) data (10)

15 Ford model accompanied by short fool (4)

17 Incapacitate a demonstrator, perhaps, in just a second (4)

19 Premium stocks (or, the thing I consider most important) (10)

22 To start diesel vehicle in South American country is a family
responsibility (5,4)

24 Leaders of all the service economies are confused (2,3)

25 Contract rebel to smuggle arsenic (5)

26 When returning resinous substance the first time, to complain is useful
(9)

27 Astonishingly, Chelsea swallowed a ring and a string (8)

28 Steer badly and start over (5)

DOWN

 1 Locates characters up to four times in an election-night report (3,5,2,4)

 2 Home for some Europeans drifting into sea (7)

 3 Intended to rise up and corral man losing head to Alzheimer’s, perhaps
(8)

 4 Pilot’s instrument to measure duration and make changes outside (9)

 5 15 circling around near deep hole (5)

 6 Extra performance before capturing military figure (6)

 7 Outspoken rule: “Male lover is a gay symbol” (7)

 8 Notable’s constituents repeatedly used a traveler’s official paper (8,6)

14 Barrel maker took in work with others (9)

16 Denigrate flower: “It’s a catastrophe” (8)

18 Leaves church after terrible pains (7)

20 Fashionable religions? They might be creepy (7)

21 Stick your _____ ! (Contact classifieds@thenation.com) (6)

23 I understand: Keeping record is the beginning (5)

 

SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3451

ACROSS 1 RED + CARP + ET 6 hidden 9 MON + SOON 10 GA + VOT(T)E 11 DRAGO(MA)N 12 B(OGOT)A (Togo rev.) 14 O + KAY (rev.) 15 HA + IRS + TYLE[r] 17 rode anag. 19 anag. 21 rev. hidden 22 S(NOW + P)LOW (&lit.) 24 AVER + AGE 25 [a]STEROID 26 E + CLAT (rev.) 27 HE + ADDRESS

DOWN 1 RE(M)EDY 2 D(ON TASK)D + ONT (anag.) + TELL 3 A(POLO) + G[u]Y 4 PEN + TATH (anag.) + LON[g] 5 TO GO 6 ENVI (anag.) + O + US 7 ANT + HON-[e]-Y + TROLLOP-E 8 THE(RAVE)N 13 M(I + CRONES)IA (aim rev.) 16 SWAN(LA)K + E 18 GALL + [w]ANT 19 anag. 20 hidden 23 initial letters