Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle.
Puzzled? No more cross words! Read Kosman and Picciotto on “Solving The Nation’s Cryptic Puzzles.” Or watch this video.
ACROSS
1 Darkness at Noon, e.g.: story excerpts in digital sample? (5,7)
9 Hatch a goose egg right before unfinished external layer (5)
10 Acknowledge and return witty remark involving company executives at first (9)
11 Kelly green on the radio is colorless (9)
12 $1,000 is second sign of affection (4)
14 Circle unfamiliar area? Yes, allowing movement in a specified direction (3-3)
15 Coffee is a mysterious gift to almost all of the others like this (8)
17 Cross composer with, um, tourist (8)
19 Audibly express frustration at critical personality (6)
Even before February 28, the reasons for Donald Trump’s imploding approval rating were abundantly clear: untrammeled corruption and personal enrichment to the tune of billions of dollars during an affordability crisis, a foreign policy guided only by his own derelict sense of morality, and the deployment of a murderous campaign of occupation, detention, and deportation on American streets.
Now an undeclared, unauthorized, unpopular, and unconstitutional war of aggression against Iran has spread like wildfire through the region and into Europe. A new “forever war”—with an ever-increasing likelihood of American troops on the ground—may very well be upon us.
As we’ve seen over and over, this administration uses lies, misdirection, and attempts to flood the zone to justify its abuses of power at home and abroad. Just as Trump, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth offer erratic and contradictory rationales for the attacks on Iran, the administration is also spreading the lie that the upcoming midterm elections are under threat from noncitizens on voter rolls. When these lies go unchecked, they become the basis for further authoritarian encroachment and war.
In these dark times, independent journalism is uniquely able to uncover the falsehoods that threaten our republic—and civilians around the world—and shine a bright light on the truth.
The Nation’s experienced team of writers, editors, and fact-checkers understands the scale of what we’re up against and the urgency with which we have to act. That’s why we’re publishing critical reporting and analysis of the war on Iran, ICE violence at home, new forms of voter suppression emerging in the courts, and much more.
But this journalism is possible only with your support.
This March, The Nation needs to raise $50,000 to ensure that we have the resources for reporting and analysis that sets the record straight and empowers people of conscience to organize. Will you donate today?
22 Johnny’s money (4)
23 Ordinary quarrel for one appearing in court (9)
26 A crazy teal eating another bird is out of the ordinary (9)
27 Agree to move around like a beaver? (5)
28 Master what you need for survival in the city (6,6)
DOWN
1 Swimwear is what you thing? (5)
2 Uncooked pie with rabbit (not hot) (7)
3 Large and small garments—they are often depicted by artists (10)
Get unlimited access: $9.50 for six months.
4 Flakes, perhaps, prior to entering Berkeley (6)
5 Growth in fold (8)
6 Epic yarn from Down Under? A lot of fun (4)
7 Brilliant star is not joking, we hear (6)
8 Unfortunately, Tom’s invested in an inheritance: a diamond, perhaps (8)
13 Porn merits rough punishment by the government (6,4)
14 Choose to accept spies on the inside, with contact person? (8)
16 Model employee delayed (8)
18 Property of diminutive butts? (6)
20 One shrinking in fear from cold impostor (7)
21 Gift given temporarily, following thanks (6)
24 Dismisses a line in a letter that has been sent back (5)
25 Fuss with part of a guitar (4)
SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3466
ACROSS 10 FOR + D + P + INTO 11 GE + TIT (rev.) 12 anag. 13 F(IREW)ALL (wire anag.) 18 CA + S(U)ALTY 20 A + C + CENT 24 anag. 25 anag.
DOWN 1 M(I + SF)IT 2 EM + ERG + E 3 P + RE + PARED 4 anag. 5 hidden 6 rev. hidden 7 S(T + ATE)LAW (tea anag.) 9 [f]INNS 14 L-ACROSS + E 15 WIS(T)E + RIA (rev.) 16 anag. 17 anag. 19 AN + NA + L + S 21 EL + IJAH (rev.) 22 pun 23 WHEE[l]
Joshua Kosman and Henri PicciottoJoshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto are The Nation’s puzzlers. To read more about Kosman, click here. To read more about Picciotto, click here. Kosman and Picciotto explain what they’re up to in “Solving The Nation’s Cryptic Crosswords” (also available as a PDF).