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ACROSS

 8 Reversing deficits: a crass cover for cutting (9)

 9 Pink ember, initially roasting at the center (5)

10 An e-mail confused a British writer (1,1,5)

11 Offensive raids, no? (7)

12 Deep sip? It is not very healthy! (4,5)

14 Pass a kind of sugar back before start of tea (5)

16 Some politicians venerate priests, absurdly (15)

19 Inside, Yevtushenko read The Nation at one time (5)

20 Heretical creed: a nun’s stamina (9)

22 Switch access for oven (7)

24 After decapitation, weaken in terrible pain (7)

26 The king’s article in Spain, with permission to travel curtailed (5)

27 Decorate trees strangely for three months (9)  

DOWN

 1 I smear resident of Haiti, perhaps (8)

 2 Death of one who bellyaches about wild mare (4,6)

 3 Acclaim a hard downfall (4)

 4 Actress to undress, speaking in a stereotypical French accent (6)

 5 Militant whose favorite part of a Shakespeare play is the penultimate section? (8)

 6 Live over a field (4)

 7 Secrecy concerning sexual orientation to face defeat in Connecticut (6)

 9 Woodworker’s complaint over log (9)

13 Maniacal pastor captures red wolves (9)

15 Commercial opening is the framework for traders: they believe a second coming is imminent (10)

17 Hate price of suit? (8)

18 Woman with police department nabs her clergyman (8)

19 Collection of items to trap returning pet (6)

21 Lisa and Ed turned clockwise (6)

23 Star’s deli offering (4)

25 Valley girl’s, like, exciting? Not at first (4)  

SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3294  

ACROSS 1 anag. (&lit.) 9 A + WARD (rev.) 10 SIGH + TSEER (anag.) 11 ST(EEL + B)ANDS 12 O(HI)O 14 PAN + ZER[o] 15 & 18 DO + BERMAN + PINS CHER 29 UN + IS + ON[e] 22 hidden 24 anag. 26 T(A)ILS (rev.) + PINS (rev.) 27 LATHE[r] 28 direct anag.

DOWN 1 GEAR (anag.) + SUP 2 A + GAMEMNON (anag.) 3 anag. 4 Y + ESMAN (anag.) 5 [b]RIGADOON 6 [p]INTO 7 “beach” 8 WART + OR + N 13 anag. 16 anag. 17 NE(ARM  + I)SS 18 anag. 20 NO + BLEST 21 M + ASS + IF 23 hidden 25 “aisle”