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ACROSS

 1 Loss of power, with liberal disappearing in retreat (4,3)

 5 Rural ailment afflicting infants at a New England school? (7)

 9 For example, the past 10 heads of 7-Eleven (5)

10 Motorist has to keep closer to the ocean (9)

11 Nerd to bully: “Start to expect a devious strategy” (4,6)

12 Sound opinion involving a command that is unfortunately not available in real life (4)

14 Loses consciousness in fast, surprisingly (6)

16 For Arabs, the axiom is unselfishness (8)

18 Hey, a Jew in a national park! (8)

19 Repeat what I say: “Moving in pairs, shift from front to back.” That’s what girls used to be taught (4,2)

21 Within the law: to sacrifice limb for a friend (4)

22 First off, quakes spilled fuel—sorry (10)

25 Large bats hunt mice when hunger is apt to strike (9)

26 Overcome with anger, how a critic would describe his work (5)

27 Charge levied at whistleblower by despicable senator (7)

28 Socks financial institution, starting late with rents (7)

DOWN

 1 Shortening overtime to catch a pop-up? In Florida, it might lead to confusion (9,6)

 2 Hear, touch or taste money (5)

 3 I mean to eat bananas individually (3,2,1,4)

 4 Henry and Elizabeth Stroud, horsing around (6)

 5 Every fortnight, said farewell in a half-hearted manner (8)

 6 Rope, using ____ for a new beginning, becomes cope or dope (4)

 7 Middle Eastern variety of orange is held up over the end of a fork (9)

 8 Writer Ford (and others) covering host with those making a selection (6,9)

13 Handle check to underwrite second-rate accommodations (10)

15 Silence? No, misbehaving! (9)

17 Greek sporting inane hat (8)

20 Cruelly poke at Midwestern capital (6)

23 Oddball criticism at outset of evaluation (5)

24 Resistance units initially on Her Majesty’s service (4)

SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3311  

ACROSS 1 CRISP + USA + T + TUCKS 8 MINER + AL (&lit.) 9 TO + WROPE (power anag.) 11 A(C)RID 12 anag. 13 rev. 14 S(MOOT)HOVER 18 anag. 19 A + TOP 22 “waste banned” 25 NEIL A[rmstrong] rev. 26 anag. 27 A(CRY)LIC[e] 28 BOSTON MASS. + ACRE

DOWN 1 “symbols” 2 hidden 3 PA(ROD)Y 4 SAL’S + A 5 [s]TO(TEMPO)LE 6 anag. 7 rev. hidden 10 RED + I.E. (rev.) 15 MAN + HAT + TAN 16 VI + TRIO + LI + C 17 pun 18 JA + WED 20 PAN + ACHE 21 anag. 23 I’M + AGO 24 DR + AMA