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ACROSS

 1 Strict believer to 1-Down a mind reader (14)

 9 Father follows every direction, for every periodical (9)

10 Marx in a California city (5)

11 Discussed academic official in reverse requirement (4)

12 Chatterbox Japanese detective mixed hot rum (10)

14 Motley crew’s leader comes into power, ousting Republican (8)

15 Goddess who can never get to Point B? (6)

17 River is almost an area for doctors’ group? (6)

19 Paintings of a container in front of vessels (8)

22 Categorize simple language, from start to finish, as “spoken” (10)

24 Devise cooking utensil to hold head of lettuce (4)

26 Snake’s associate in providing support? (5)

27 Deny getting overtime? I try to reach an agreement (9)

28 Dickens and Thackeray, e.g., enthralling 2 speakers at school (14)  

DOWN

 1 Raise capital for future partner, concealing money in the middle (7)

 2 Roosevelt’s program, as expected: genuflect to Rev. Spooner (3,4)

 3 Sound equipment shredding spam (4)

 4 I heap our bananas high (8)

 5 Engine’s fishtail cut off (5)

 6 What might drive a crazy person?! (10)

 7 Confiscation of submachine gun, brought back dry on the outside (7)

 8 Puzzle constructor to joke over center of square (6)

13 Make like a bat beginning to eat ground chocolate (10)

16 Sunshine heard about from valley inhabitant? (8)

17 Face viper, etc., in consternation (6)

18 Organize lab gear for high school class (7)

20 Queen’s uncontrolled lust preceding one sign of adultery, perhaps? (7)

21 Musical performers who deliver a little fire? (7)

23 Puzzle constructor’s chicken dominating small state (5)

25 Prison agitation (4)  

SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3289  

ACROSS 1 2 defs. 9 rev. hidden 10 IMP(U)LSE (simple anag.) 11 anag. 12 SCULP (C-plus anag.) + TED 14 TI(PTO)E (opt anag.) 17 anag. 18 PANG + LOSS 20 POULE(N)C (couple anag.) 24 S(TOM)AC + H 25 IN(VI)TRO 26 ALE + X + AND + ER + POPE

DOWN 1 J + UMP 2 H(EDGE + FUN)D 3 “peace” 4 anag. 5 2 defs. 6 anag. 7 S + ALVO (anag.) 8 NEEDLES + S 12 S[hou]T + ARF-ISH 13 anag. 14 T + WO AND TWO (wood want anag.) 16 PARO ([h]arpo anag.) + DIED 19 AS(T)HMA (Mahas anag.) 21 A ROMA 22 L + EVER 23 2 defs.