Across:
8 A (-A-) new (-N-) bill (-AD-) in California (C-A) (CANADA) refers to state over the American border (CANADA),
9 Seeks office (RUNS) after (= positional indicator) The House (HOME) (HOME RUNS) produces a number of substantial hits in America (HOME RUNS),
10 It’s for fighting (WAR-) delirium initially (‘delirium’ initially = -D) (WARD) in hospital (WARD),
11 Comedian (comedian = MENDACIO-) touring (= anagram indicator) America (-US) (MENDACIOUS) is economical with the truth (MENDACIOUS),
12 Grapes initially (‘grapes initially = G-) from bottom of the slopes (bottom of the ‘slopes’ = -S-) in unpleasantly damp and cold (dank = -DAN-K) (GDANSK) port (port in Poland = GDANSK),
14 Toddies (HOTSHOTS) produced by warm (HOT-), smashing (= anagram indicator) hosts (hosts = -SHOTS) (HOTSHOTS),
15 Most of those in 18 across (most of ‘forwards’ = FORWARD -), 4 down (‘thin’ = THIN-) and 24 down (‘king’ = -KING) (FORWARD-THINKING) working as fortune-tellers perhaps (FORWARD-THINKING),
18 Rugby players (FORWARDS) shameless (FORWARD-) at first scrum (first ‘scrum’ = -S) (FORWARDS),
20 Rebel (= anagram indicator) rules (rules = ULS-ER) over Troy (-T-) (ULSTER) from northern part of the island (ULSTER),
22 A foreign (a = UN-) badger (badger/harass = PROVOKE-) with dark head (‘dark’ head = -D) (UNPROVOKED) is not put out (UNPROVOKED),
24 Weekend (‘week’ end = K-), for example (e.g. = -EG-), on bender (-S bend) (KEGS) with those who can hold their beer (KEGS),
25 Building (= anagram indicator) holds DNA (holds DNA = OLD HANDS) of veterans (OLD HANDS),
26 Took care of (TENDED) acre from dead centre (‘acre’ from ‘dead centre’ = dedent = TENDED).
Down:
1 Tap dancers ignoring pest (‘tap dancers’ ignoring ‘pest’ = adancr = CANARD) is a baseless rumour (CANARD),
2 The Mob (mob/crowd = BAND) prohibited by the censor (‘banned” = ‘BAND’) on the radio (= homophone indicator),
3 Reads the Riot Act in the house (LAWMAKER) to one of those trying to get rid of Old Bill (LAWMAKER),
4 Lightweight type (THIN) among freethinkers (among ‘freethinkers’ = THIN),
5 Make known (IMPART) we are not in time warp (‘we’ are not in ‘time warp’ = timarp = IMPART),
6 Amidst the plot, The Globe’s (The Globe’s/Globe artichokes = ARTICHOKES) crafty type (ART-) from institute (-I-) folds under pressure, in the sporting sense (-CHOKES) (ARTICHOKES),
7 Prepare to take off (UNBUTTON) tops of utterly nutritious (tops of ‘utterly nutritious’ = UN-) type of mushrooms (-BUTTON mushroom/ type of mushroom) (UNBUTTON),
13 Modern (NEW-) school (-S) is deserving (-WORTHY) (NEWSWORTHY) of the journalists’ interest (NEWSWORTHY),
14 Is revolted (HATES) by maddening (= anagram indicator) haste (haste = HATES),
16 Old hero (O’CONNELL) raised (= reversal indicator) in Bog of Allen? No, County Kerry! (in ‘Bog of Allen No County Kerry’ = llen No Co = llennoco = O’CONNELL),
17 Turn a blind eye without Beryl (‘turn a blind eye’ without ‘Beryl’ = tunainde = INUNDATE) Flood (flood/overwhelm = INUNDATE),
19 Renovators root out (‘renovators’ ‘root’ out/without ‘root’ = envars = RAVENS) a number of birds (RAVENS).
21 English (E-) lawyer (Attorney General = -AG-) from the foreign (the = -LE-) school (-S) (EAGLES) of high flyers (EAGLES),
23 Some characters in Donnybrook issued (some characters in ‘Donnybrook issued’ =k iss = KISS) a welcome that’s very informal (KISS),
24 Folk (KIN-) legend (‘leg’ end = -G) (KING) on board (KING on chessboard).