CUBA . . . MORE TO TALK ABOUT

The Clinton Administration reportedly plans to grant visas to as many as 20,000 Cubans a year -- up from fewer than 3,000 last year -- if Fidel Castro will stop the exodus. That's just one item on the list when U.S and Cuban officials meet in New York City on Thursday. They'll also discuss "credible reports" cited today by U.S. officials at the Guantanamo Naval base that Cuba has released minimum security prisoners, allowing them to join the boat people on rafts headed for Florida. Meanwhile, the influx of Cubans headed for Florida began climbing after a virtual halt during weekend storms. Hundreds of people in home-made rafts set off from beaches near Havana Monday night, and by mid-afternoon the U.S. Coast Guard reported intercepting 731 people at sea. Also today, Honduras announced it would accept 5,000 Cubans blocked from entering the United States, easing some of the pressure to further expand crowded Guantanamo.