At the time. At least one person killed. Another injured. This morning, new images of the moment it happened. Those stories plus the parents of the little boy killed by an alligator at disney world are breaking their silence. We promised him at his wake, we would turn this tragedy into good for many families. Is o. J. About to walk free . And the prince, the popcorn and the adorable 2yearold poacher who stole his heart, today, thursday, september 28th, 2017. Announcer from nbc news, this is today with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. Good morning, everybody. Welcome to today and thank you for joining us on a thursday morning. Our top story this morning is the passing of an american icon. Hugh hefner, he built and embodied the playboy empire. He has died. His family announcing he passed away peacefully at his legendary mansion. Nbc National CorrespondentMiguel Almaguer is there. He has more on hefners anything but ordinary life. Miguel, good morning. Reporter good morning. On the other side of this fence is perhaps one of the most iconic homes in all of america. He died at the age of 91. It became a worldwide brand. He quickly realized, sex sells. He was the original playboy. I didnt have dreams as wild as what happened. Reporter his life and work, a blend of sex, swagger and sophistication, his success started out as a long shot. The son conservative chicago schoolteachers. A world war ii working at esquire when he launed t magazine that would make him a household name. With several thousand dollars, he published the first playboy from his kitchen. Cover, a capt young blonde named marilyn monroe, who appeared nooude in e center fold. He had work from some of the eras most celebrated writers. Interviews from everyone from john lennon to jimmy critics called it explofloiploi vulgar, but he says he loosened up button up america. A case for the sexual revolution before anybodyelse. Reporter hefner turned playboy into a media empire. Opening a string of clubs in the 60s and 70s that introduced the world to playboy bunnies. Later, expanding the magazines reach through shrewd merchandising, movies and tv. He also created one of the most famous residences in the world. The playboy mansion, knownies a allnight parties. He revelled in the success, rarely losing his silk pajamas and smoke jacket. Welcome to playboys penthouse. There were toughtimes, including two divorces. And financial struggles as playboys circulation with the dawn of the digital era. Hefner was a figure. An icon to some. A of pornography to others. He never apologized. Major regrets. We only get one time around in this world, and i feel im one of the veryfew. Reporter overnight, celebrities sent condolences via social media. Larry king tweeting, hugh hefner was a giant in publishing, journalism, speech and civil rights. He was a true original, and my. Rest well, hef. And actress and former play mate, Jenny Mccarthy writing, rip, hef. Thank you for being a revolutionary and changing so many peopleslives, especially mine. I hope i made you proud. The who was once quoted as saying, life is too short to be living someone elses dream, died after living out his ow guys, this morning, puts it this way, hugh hefner did for sex what the of mcdonalds did for roadside food. Cleaning it up and making it available to the masses. Matt savannah, back to you in new york. That person has a way with words. Miguel, thank you. Wow want to get into a disagreement as a cocktail party, bring up the name hugh hefner. You have to 1953 when he created this magazine and movement. And revolutionary it was and how controversial it would be. Right. Love him or hate him, no question, he changed our culture. I know youve been reading the articles for years. Just research. Yes. Anyway, theres a lot more to get to on this thursday morning. The sweeping tax overhaul plan unveiled by President Trump and congressional republicans. The president is hailing it as revolutionary, but it is not without controversy. So what could change for you . Nbc White House CorrespondentKristen Welker has more on this. Kristen, take it away. Reporter good morning. Tax reform has long been President Trumps signature issue, and on wednesday, he did unveil new details of a plan he says will help the middle class and build the economy. But critics argue, its not clear how hell pay for it. Still, after a series of legislative setbacks, republicans on capitol hill and here at the white house say mr. Trump needs a win. This morning, the fight over tax reform is taking off. Theres never been tax cuts like what were talking about. Reporter President Trump hailing the republican framework as a once in a Generation Opportunity to reshape the economy. This is a revolutionary change and the biggest winners will be the everyday american workers. Reporter despite the recent defeat over health care, which fractured the gop, now initial signs of uted front on taxes. This is vital to americas future. And it is urgent. Reporter the plan calls for reducing the number of tax brackets. Slashing the Corporate Tax rate and enhancing the child tax credit. Independent budget experts warn is proposal could add 2 trillion to the debt over the next ten years. Democrats calling the plan a give away to the rich. The top rate on the wealthiest comes down, and the bottom rate on working class families goes up. What kind of plan is this . Reporter but the president insists, wealthy americans, including himself, wont reap any rewards. Im doing the right thing, and it is not good for me. Believe me. Reporter all this as mr. Trump faces a growing fire storm over health and Human Services secretary tom price, now under scrutiny from congress for charging taxpayers for private jet travel. Politico reports price has taken two dozen charter flights this year, costing tax players more than 300,000. Im going to look at it. I am not happy about it and i let him know. Reporter when asked whether he would fire price, the president hunted. The secretary has heard the criticism, takes it seriously and fully supports the inspector generals investigation. Also this morning, the president himself coming under fire from the daughter of senator john mccain for criticizing the senator who helped defeat the latest effort to overhaul obamacare. Megan mccain, linked to a story, claiming the president physically mocked her father after he was diagnosed with brain cancer, calling it abhorrent and tweeting, what more must my family be put through right now . The white house didnt respond to megan mccains tweets. The president has a series of meetings today, including the president waving the jones act, restricting shipping in the u. S. The move applying supplies to reach the hurricane ravaged island more quickly. Matt, savannah . Thank you very much. Well pick it up there and talk about this desperate scramble for essentials in puerto rico. More than a week after hurricane maria, food, fuel and water remain in short supply. Nbcs Gabe Gutierrez remains in san juan for us. Good morning. Reporter savannah, good morning. Puerto ricos governor says the department of transportation has set aside 40 million to repair puerto ricos roads, but that part of the recovery seems a long way off. The more pressing need right now is this desperate water crisis. Its not so much an issue of supply as it is one of distribution. This morning, puerto ricos water crisis is deepening. While the floodwaters have receded, it is the lack of Drinking Water thats now ravaging the island. Really hard. Its really hard because we dont have anything. Reporter betsy is desperate, collecting fresh water from the side of a mountain for her children. If you had a message for the federal government, what would it be . Help us. Were americans, too. Reporter half of puerto rico has no Drinking Water. Everyone is trying to get water to survive, this man says. This Grocery Store is open but rationing basic supplies. The owner says it is hard to restock because theres little fuel for delivery trucks. Were trying our best to keep them with food, with hope, and let it be known that supplies are coming. Reporter the islands thirst for water is tied to the collapse of the power grid. Theres electricity to treat and pump it. I dont know how hot it is, but it feels 120. Reporter especially with no power. A lack of diesel fuel and a telecommunications breakdown is crippling relief efforts. The governor says private sector drivers arent showing up for deliveries. At the port of san juan, some supplies are sitting in storage. We still have a number of customers that are unable to do their business because of lack of diesel to power their business. Reporter humanitarian aid is flooding in, as there is a frantic scramble to get off the island. Royal caribbean cancelling a cruise, using the ship to take evacuees to the u. S. Mainland today. In new york, relief for those who escaped on one of the few commercial flights to leave the island. We are american citizens in puerto rico, so we need the government to really put a larger effort there. Reporter it has been just over a week since maria slammed into puerto rico, but matt and savannah, remember, much of this island had been in the dark since Hurricane Irma grazed puerto rico. Theyve been without electricity for a while and no end is in sight. Back to you. Thank you very much. A lot of people have been asking us, what can we do . How can we help . We put information on our website, today. Com, so check it out. We encourage you to do that. There is a new twist in the death of Otto Warmbier, the American College student held in a north korean jail for 17 months. A newly released coroners report adding to questions about his death. Nbcs chief Foreign Affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell has the latest on this. Hi, andrea. Good morning, matt. The coroners report, dated september 11th, shows the 22yearold died from oxygen depravation to his brain. The cause of death, undetermined. Yet another twist in this mystery as h family maintains their son died from torture at the hands of the north korean gime. We dont know what happened to him, and thats the bottom line. Reporter this morning, the mystery surrounding Otto Warmbiers death is intensifying. A coroners report released wednesday revealed warmbier appeared to have a breathing tube during his 17month imprisonment in north korea. The family is looking for answers, but at this point, were never going to know unless the people that were there at the time it happened come forward. Reporter warmbiers parents on cnn this week believe ottos condition was no accident. Otto was systematically tortured and intentionally injured. Reporter warmbier died days after his return to u. S. Soil. His brain starved of oxygen, the report says, from an unknown injury more than a year prior to his death. I mean, could that have been torture at the time . We dont know. Reporter the coroner says ottos body was in excellent condition but noted scars on his knees, ankles, feet and ar. The warmbier family insisting it didnt stop there. Recalling the horrifying moments they saw him for the First Time Since north korea released him. Hes blind. Hes deaf. Hes got a feeding tube. We kneel down, hug him and try to connect with him, and he is a complete vegetable. His bottom teeth looked like they had taken a pair of pliers and rearranged them. Reporter the coroner says a forensic dentist saw no damage to his teeth, but she is not disputing the familys claims that he was tortured. Please save my life. Reporter in june, warmbiers parents declined a full autopsy, but the coroner says it wouldnt reveal more than their postmortem exams, including a ct scan. A death shrouded in secrecy. The answers only known to north korea itself. North korea denied torturing Otto Warmbier and is calling his death a mystery. The coroner told me she only held her News Conference because she was getting so many questions about the warmbier familys recent interviews. Matt and savannah . Tragedy. Sad story. Thank you very much. Now to another sad story. This happened at yosemite. We mentioned at the top of the show, a massive chunk of stone broke from the face of the famed el capitan on wednesday. Killed one person and injured another. At least 30 climbers were on the wall at the time, but Officials Say it isnt clear if the victims were climbers or tourists. One witness described the rock that fell as the size of an apartment building. Climbers from around the world come to this park to scale el capitans face. Officials say rock falls are common there but rarely fatal. After nine years behind bars, o. J. Simpson could be released in days. What is next for the nations most infamous inmate . Joe fryer is following that for us. Good morning. Reporter o. J. Simpson will likely switch prisons before his release and could be free in a few days, monday, the first weekday in october. For now, the exact day is not yet known. I do vote to grant parole. Thank you. Reporter two months after o. J. Simpson was unanimously granted patrol, nevada is preparing for his muchanticipated release. State officials will not confirm if simpsons parole plan has been approved. Right before his release, it is expected simpson will be moved from love lock correctional center, his home the last nine years, to another prison, possibly high desert state prison, outside of las vegas. I basically spent a conflictfree life. Reporter it was during the socalled parole hearing of the century, a live tv sceptical in july, the former football star won his release, promising to behave after he was convicted for the Armed Robbery of two Sports Memorabilia dealers. I could easily stay in nevada, but i dont think you guys want me here. Reporter simpson expressed interest in moving to florida, home to his close friend, tom scotto. Wants to spend time with his family, his kids, his friends. All these things about reality shows are ridiculous. Thats not going to happen. Reporter but as of wednesday, floridas department of corrections said it had not received an official request for transfer from simpson, which much be submitted and approved before he can leave nevada. No matter where he ends up, simpson must follow strict rules, including no illegal drugs, no weapons and no association with convicted felons. He can drink alcohol but his blood alcohol level cant top 0. 08. Douglas was one of simpsons attorneys when he was found not guilty of murdering exwife nicole brown and her friend, ron goldman. He said the greatest pitfall could be the advent of social media. Every moment he walks out of his house, he is going to be risking the possibility that someone will be recording his every move. Reporter whenever simpson is released, unlike his parole hearing, the media will not be allowed on prison property. Meanwhile, the Goldman Family is speaking out, telling nbc news, while they respect the parole boards decision, it is difficult knowing simpson will be a free man again. The goldmans did win a civil judgment against simpson and plan to go after any money he makes outsides of his pensions. Matt . Joe, thank you very much. Want an inspiring story now . Heres one. An act of kindness in the aftermath of hurricane harvey. Deshaun watson, the rookie quarterback from the houston texans, donated his first nfl paycheck to three women who work in the cafeteria at nrg stadium. The women suffered significant damage to their homes after that devastating storm. What you all do for us every day, i really appreciate you all. I wanted to give my first game check to you all, to help you all out. In some type of way. Here you go. Thank you so much. No problem. Can i give you a hug . Yeah. Watsons one game check, worth more than 27,000. The georgia native knows firsthand the importance of giving to others in need. When he was 11 years old, watsons family was the recipient of a home through habitat for humanity. Paying it forward. I like it. Great way. I like that story. Yeah. Al, lets get a check of the weather. Weve been talking so much about icaneshis month. Just to give you an idea, put up this calendar, every day so far for the month of september, we have talked about a hurricane. Irma, jose, katia, lee and maria. So speaking of maria, right now, 275 miles east northeast of cape hatteras. 70mileperhour winds moving east northeast. It books out of here. Probably going to affect the uk over the weekend. What we now are watching, a tropical disturbance, we could see this develop in the next two days, 20 . Five days, 40 . Heres the fiveday zone of development. We see heavy showers and thunderstorms today, tomorrow and going into the weekend as this moves up to the north. Heavy rain will increase, and were looking at anywhere from three to five inches of rain. Were going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. Good morning. It is 7 20 now and already in the 60s for the peninsula, but we are waking up to that Early Morning fog along Golden Gate Bridge so if you are on the bridge this morning, please keep both handsed on the wheel with limited visibility. Further in toward San Francisco we are looking at nice clear skies with 61 degrees, north bay on the cooler side with 46 degrees, but as we hd into today we are expting anoer warm day for inland areas, but slightly cooler along the coast with a cool down on the wafor tomorrow. And thats your latest weather. Matt . Al, thank you very much. Ahead on a busy morning, the parents of the toddler who was killed in an alligator attack at Walt Disney World speak out. The amazing new way theyre honoring their son. Then a strange controversy over American Airlines new uniforms. Are they making flight attendants sick . Well have that story. First, this is today on nbc. Coming up, a cheeky toddler who stole prince harrys popcorn and maybe his heart. Hoda . You want stars . Yes. We got stars. Jane fonda, steve martin, the cast of will and when its time to move to underwear toddlers see things