Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the lone surviving Boston Marathon bombing suspect, has been charged and is now reportedly cooperating with authorities. Tsarneav's initial court "appearance" was conducted late Monday by a federal magistrate judge in his hospital room. The 19-year-old is accused of using a weapon of mass destruction in the April 15 attacks that killed 3 people and injured nearly 200 others. NBC News Justice Correspondent Pete Williams reports that several officials familiar with the initial interrogation of describe Tsarnaev as cooperative, writing answers to some questions and nodding or shaking his head at others. A senior government official also says that the suspect and his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, were not in touch with any overseas terrorists or groups. The younger Tsarnaev also reportedly indicated that he and his brother planned the bombings on their own, and were motivated by religious fervor. Officials also say that the two received their bomb making plans from the web. Tsarnaev's questioning follows an intense back-and-forth between lawmakers and civil liberties groups on the issue of giving the suspect his Miranda warning. The White House said yesterday that it would not treat Tsarnaev as an enemy combatant, but while it appears some key matters have been settled, many questions remain. The FBI is expected to brief members of Congress on its actions regarding Tamerlan Tsarnaev before the attacks, but Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has already called for hearings over the agency's handling of the investigation. And while there are still many details left to learn about the case, some experts say the government's case against the younger Tsarnaev already has some holes. We’ll try to address some of the outstanding concerns and get the latest on the investigation when we see you at noon ET on msnbc.
PANEL
Karen Finney, Host, msnbc (@finneyk)
Frank Bruni, Op-Ed Columnist, The New York Times (@frankbruni)
Wes Moore, U.S. Army Captain (Ret.)/Author, “The Other Wes Moore” (@wesmoore1)
David Corn, Washington Bureau Chief, Mother Jones/ msnbc Political Analyst (@davidcorndc)
REPORTER
Pete Williams
GUESTS
Mira Nair, Director, “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” (@mirapagilnair) [3A]
Riz Ahmed, Actor, “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” (@rizmc) [3A]