Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine approved by panel clearing way for FDA authorization for emergency use – as it happened

• FDA's expected approval will allow millions of doses to be shipped
• 3,124 deaths sets new record two weeks after Thanksgiving holiday
• President Trump makes no public comment on death toll
• Crunch time for intensive care beds as US faces dark pandemic winter
• Biden reportedly set to nominate Katherine Tai as top US trade envoy
• Sign up to receive First Thing - our daily briefing by email

12.50am GMT

From Lauren Araratani, and me:

12.43am GMT

A legal brief seeking to overturn the election result, signed by 106 Republican members of Congress, is written by Phillip Jauregui, who was formerly the lawyer for disgraced senate candidate Roy Moore.

Several women have accused Moore of sexual assault, including two who were minors during the time of the assaults. A former chief justice of the supreme court of Alabama and US Senate candidate, Moore admitted to pursuing minors.

Related: States targeted in Texas election fraud lawsuit condemn 'cacophony of bogus claims'