Newsletter: Today: Christmas Pardons. LSAT Goes AWOL.

I’m Davan Maharaj, editor of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I don’t want you to miss this Christmas.

TOP STORIES

Gov. Brown’s Penchant for Pardons

The Christmas Eve pardon for Robert Downey Jr. ricocheted around the Internet, especially after the actor tweeted, “You’re only on the naughty list if you get caught... #HappyAlmostChristmas.” But he was just one of 91 people Gov. Jerry Brown pardoned yesterday. To date, Brown has granted executive clemency to 1,087 people, including 683 since he returned to office in 2011. Read on to see Brown’s philosophy on pardons and how he compares with his predecessors.

Do or Die in the Granite State

New Hampshire’s role in the election process can be a wild card, and the wide-open nature of this year’s GOP race is only making it wilder. Chris Christie, Jeb Bush and John Kasich in particular are spending a lot of time there, answering all kinds of questions at town hall meetings. But what does Bush’s workout routine have to do with the first presidential primary?

¿Dónde Está la Embajadora?

The U.S. has not had an ambassador in Mexico since August, and it doesn’t appear it will any time soon. The holdup: GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio has placed a hold on the nomination of Roberta Jacobson because he says she does not have “the trust of Congress,” even though she has received broad bipartisan support. At issue: her role in President Obama’s diplomatic opening with Cuba.

When the LSAT Goes AWOL

Imagine taking a big test that could determine your future, then finding out your answer sheet is lost. That’s the fate of about 80 students who took the Law School Admission Test earlier this month. “I wish we knew what happened — UPS lost them,” said a spokeswoman for the test administrator. Here’s how it could affect their chances at getting into law school.

ICE’s New Year Resolution: Deport Central Americans

Immigration officials are planning to step up efforts to find and deport Central American families who have arrived in recent years and been ordered by immigration judges to leave. The push is expected in the New Year, and it is meant to ward off others who are looking to flee violence and poverty in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

A Blue Christmas in Porter Ranch

It will be a silent night in parts of Porter Ranch, but for the wrong reasons. A nearby gas leak since late October has prompted thousands to move, and officials don’t expect to get the problem under control for three or four more months. Beyond the holiday disruption, residents are worried about the long-term effects on health and property values.

CALIFORNIA

-- After children lose their mother in the San Bernardino attack, a community tries to soften the blow.

-- How L.A. school board members would react to another bomb threat.

-- Stay healthy out there: “Winter vomiting disease,” a.k.a. norovirus, is on the rise.

-- Stormy weather could complicate your holiday travel.

NATION-WORLD

-- Westerners in Beijing are warned of a Christmas terrorism threat.

-- Protesters stage “Black Christmas” among last-minute shoppers in Chicago.

-- The grim task of finding missing migrants in Texas.

-- Undeterred by winter, Syrian refugees are flocking to the Turkish city of Izmir.

-- How NORAD became the world’s official Santa-tracker.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Entertainment: the year in pictures.

-- Movie review: “The Revenant” is a survival tale of beautiful, brute strength.

-- Movie review: Hard-hitting “Concussion” may have tried to tackle a bit too much.

-- Former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck’s benefit music festival just keeps growing.

-- How cable and broadcast TV news fared in 2015.

BUSINESS

-- The toy unboxing phenomenon is creating YouTube stars.

-- David Lazarus: Battle with Bank of America provides a “Wonderful” lesson.

-- Founders therapy: Therapists help tech start-up co-founders resolve disputes.

-- The party may be over for venture capital.

SPORTS

-- Backup quarterbacks are in the spotlight as the NFL playoff picture takes shape.

-- Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is training in a world-class boxing gym.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Venison and plum pottage: Behold the dinners of Christmas past. (NPR)

-- When physics meets fairy tales, superheroes and vampires. (National Geographic)

-- Going up: Hotel elevators are being designed with selfies and social media in mind. (Wall Street Journal)

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

Chef Thomas Keller has made his mark with restaurants such as the French Laundry and Bouchon. Who knew that he was inspired in part by the star of “House on Haunted Hill”? Vincent Price and his wife Mary wrote a cookbook called “A Treasury of Great Recipes,” which was first published in 1965 and is nearly 500 pages long. Keller got a copy from his mother, and the rest is culinary history. Read on to get the first recipe Keller made from the book.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.