Vietnam has agreed to rescue about a thousand bears from farms across the country in an effort to shut down the longstanding practice of extracting their bile, which critics say is inhumane and bad for the long-term survival of bears in the wild.

The Administration of Forestry signed a memorandum of understanding today with the Hong Kong-based conservation nonprofit Animals Asia, saying that the two would work together to remove the bears to sanctuaries. That agreement follows another made in 2015 between the nonprofit and the Vietnamese Medical Association, which pledged that by 2020 traditional practitioners would stop prescribing bear bile to treat ailments.

Bile, a brownish-yellow liquid found in the gallbladder that helps bears digest fat, has been used in Asian medicine for more than a thousand years. Research has shown that it can help treat some liver conditions (though alternatives exist), but bile has no proven benefit for hangovers, cancer, and other conditions it’s widely sold to remedy.

Taking bile from the bodies of sun bears and Asiatic black bears, also called moon bears—the animals most targeted for the trade—often involves repeated invasive sessions. Some bears even live with a catheter permanently hooked up to their gallbladders. An investigation by VICE News in 2015 found that bears on farms in northern Vietnam were thin, missing patches of hair, and sitting in cramped, rusty cages.

The Fight to Stop Illegal Bear Trafficking in Southeast Asia The number of farmed bears in Laos has increased significantly in recent years, despite laws to protect the animals. An organization called Free the Bears is trying to end bear farming there.

Bear farms sprang up in Vietnam in the 1990s in response to consumer demand for bile. In 2005 the country outlawed bile extraction—but with a caveat: It allowed owners to keep the animals they already had. Though the bears were microchipped, and farmers had to sign a declaration saying they would no longer remove bile, weak enforcement has enabled the industry to persist.

“Crucially, the government has agreed to close the loophole,” said Tuan Bendixsen, who heads Animal Asia’s Vietnam branch, in a press release.

New sanctuaries to house the animals may be built, the release says, but funding details and a transfer plan for the bears haven’t been decided on yet. Since 2008, when Animals Asia set up a sanctuary in Tam Dao National Park, the group has rescued 186 bears from farms in Vietnam.

It's not only the welfare of farmed bears that has wildlife advocates concerned. The bile business has also contributed to the animals’ decline in the wild, according to a 2016 report by Traffic, a group that monitors the illegal wildlife trade. That’s because some people prefer bile from wild-sourced bears, believing it to be more potent. Though precise population numbers don't exist for sun bears and Asiatic bears, they are both considered vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which assesses the status of animals in the wild.

View Images Chinese workers collect bear bile in 2012 at Guizhentang Pharmaceutical, a company in Fujian province. Photograph by STR, AFP/Getty

“Wild bears are being sourced and laundered into the bear farms that were still in existence in Vietnam, so that’s obviously a major conservation concern aside from the animal welfare issues,” said Traffic spokesman Richard Thomas.

Last year’s Traffic report also documented another disturbing trend: As demand for bile has declined in Vietnam in recent years, farmers may be killing bears to sell body parts such as paws, considered a delicacy in China.

Vietnam isn’t the only country with bear bile farms. More than 13,000 bears are held on farms in Asia, according to Traffic. The practice persists in Laos and to an even greater extent in China, the main consumer of bear bile. More than 10,000 bears are kept legally on farms there.

Thomas wants that to change: “The next logical step would be to bring about legislation that would ensure they’re phased out over as short a time frame as realistically possible,” he says. “There really is no justification for bear farming to continue.”</s>HANOI:- Vietnam agreed Wednesday to rescue more than 1,000 bears from illegal farms across the country, in a move to end the traditional medicine trade in the creatures’ bile. Though bile farms are already outlawed in Vietnam, bears are still captured and caged in illicit facilities where their bile is extracted using invasive and painful techniques. Vietnam’s Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) and non-profit group Animals Asia signed an agreement Wednesday to rescue all remaining bears from farms, committing to end bile trade and close all facilities within five years.



 “This is a truly historic day,” Animals Asia CEO Jill Robinson at the signing in Hanoi, adding that the decision “will lead to the definitive end to bear bile farming here in Vietnam”. Bear bile farming has been outlawed in Vietnam since 1992. But many bile farms use a legal loophole allowing them to raise the animals as pets. There are about 1,200 bears in captivity in Vietnam today, down from more than 4,000 in 2005, caged in more than 400 bear farms across the country. Animals Asia estimates it will cost up to $20 million to rescue and build enough sanctuaries to house the bears, and called on donors, companies and the government to pitch in. “We cannot do this by ourselves, the government needs to take responsibility for the wildlife in the country,” said Tuan Bendixsen, Vietnam director for Animals Asia.</s>Though bile farms are already outlawed in Vietnam, bears are still captured and caged in illicit facilities where their bile is extracted using invasive and painful techniques.

Vietnam's Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) and non-profit group Animals Asia signed an agreement Wednesday to rescue all remaining bears from farms, committing to end bile trade and close all facilities within five years.

"This is a truly historic day," Animals Asia CEO Jill Robinson at the signing in Hanoi, adding that the decision "will lead to the definitive end to bear bile farming here in Vietnam".

Bear bile farming has been outlawed in Vietnam since 1992. But many bile farms use a legal loophole allowing them to raise the animals as pets.

There are about 1,200 bears in captivity in Vietnam today, down from more than 4,000 in 2005, caged in more than 400 bear farms across the country.

Animals Asia estimates it will cost up to $20 million to rescue and build enough sanctuaries to house the bears, and called on donors, companies and the government to pitch in.

"We cannot do this by ourselves, the government needs to take responsibility for the wildlife in the country," said Tuan Bendixsen, Vietnam director for Animals Asia.

Officials said funding is the main hurdle to rescuing the bears and putting an end to the trade.

"We face difficulties finding funds to prevent and stop the hunting and rescue of wild animals," VNFOREST deputy director Cao Chi Cong said.

Bendixsen warned that bile farms could move into neighbouring Laos or Cambodia, and urged countries to adhere to an international convention that bans cross-border bear and bile trading.

Wednesday's agreement follows an announcement in 2015 from Vietnam's Traditional Medicine Association to remove bear bile from its list of sanctioned prescriptions by 2020.

The bears are often kept in small cages, and their bile is 'free dripped' via a hole in the animal's gall bladder or a catheter. Many are starved, dehydrated, wounded and psychologically scarred when they are rescued.

Bear bile contains an acid which can help treat liver and gall bladder illnesses, though effective herbal alternatives are available.

Explore further: Moon bears rescued from bile farms in Vietnam</s>HIGHLAND – After Metro East Bears left fielder Blake Vandiver caught a fly ball hit by Aviston's Bryce Beckman for the final out of a Fifth Division tournament game on Tuesday at Glik Park, manager Ken Schaake said two words while standing in the dugout, “Thank you.”

The Bears not only beat top-seeded Aviston 5-2, but they also advanced to the winner's bracket final against either Highland or Herrin on Wednesday at Glik Park. Highland and Herrin were scheduled to play on Tuesday night in a winner's bracket game.

If Herrin wins, the Post 199/126 American Legion baseball team will play at 3 p.m. Wednesday. If Highland wins, the Bears will play at 7 p.m.

The Bears are 2-0 in the seven-team, Fifth Division tournament. They started tournament play on Monday with an 11-0 win over Steeleville in a first-round game that ended after six innings due to the 10-run rule.

“It's always nice to have the two wins to stay in the winner's bracket,” Schaake said. “It does potentially give us the day off if we win tomorrow.”

The Bears improved to 34-7 and are two wins away from a trip to the state tournament in Rantoul next week. They have won nine games in a row and haven't lost since the Firecracker Tournament on July 2.

“We're all competitors,” Bears second baseman Joel Quirin said. “We all have that winning mentality. We hate losing and we love winning.”

Metro East got a strong pitching performance from Storm Coffman in its win over Aviston. The right hander went the distance, giving up no earned runs on eight hits and striking out three to pick up his second win in the postseason.

Coffman also pitched a 2-1, complete-game victory over Highland in the District 22 tournament last week at Hoppe Park.

“Storm is a good guy to have out there,” Schaake said. “He comes from a small school (Bunker Hill), so things that happen behind him don't phase him. He knows that something is going to happen and he's got to continue to do his job.”

Vandiver went 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. He has four hits in the two games in the Fifth Division tournament and six in the postseason.

Vandiver gave the Bears a 1-0 lead on an RBI single in the top of the first. Dylan Burris led off the game with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Quirin and reached third on a wild pitch and scored on Vandiver's hit.

Metro East added three runs in the third on a fielding error by Aviston third baseman Lukas Whitten and a two-run single by Cole Hansel to take a 4-0 lead.

Aviston came back to cut the Bears' lead to 4-2 on a two-run single by pitcher Jack Strieker in the bottom of the third.

The Bears extended their lead to 5-2 on a sacrifice fly by Quirin that scored designated hitter Will Messer from third.

Schaake said he was thrilled that Andrew Yancik returned on Tuesday after being out with a shoulder injury.

“He's been swinging the bat after about a week after he was hurt,” the Bears manager said. “He has been saying that the arm was feeling good, but he was waiting for the release from the doctor and the physical therapist.”

Aviston, which drew a first-round bye, got two hits apiece from Strieker, Jayce Timmerman and Kolby Schulte.

Metro East beat Aviston for the second time this season. The Bears split their two regular season meetings with Aviston, with both games finishing with a 5-4 score.

“They're a good, all-around team,” Quirin said. “Strieker is a solid pitcher and he's got some movement. He's throwing lefty and it feels great to put an odd number up against him.”

Coffman said he hopes his team wins again on Wednesday. A victory will advance the Bears to the championship series on Friday.

“That will be great,” Coffman said. “Hopefully, we'll come out tomorrow and hit the ball and the pitching will be there. We should do fine.”

The Bears advanced to the Fifth Division tournament by winning the District 22 tournament last week.</s>CHICAGO -- The Bears signed quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, their 2017 first-round pick, on Wednesday, the team announced.

Trubisky -- drafted second overall by Chicago -- agreed to terms on the same day Bears rookies reported to the team facility for the start of training camp.

Trubisky vowed during the Bears' offseason program that he would not miss time in training camp because of a contract holdout.

Veteran Mike Glennon is penciled in as the Bears' starting quarterback, but Trubisky handled second-team reps in the offseason after Mark Sanchez suffered a minor knee injury. Sanchez is expected to be healthy when veterans report to camp next week, so it remains to be seen where Trubisky begins the year on Chicago's quarterback depth chart.

The Bears moved up one spot to draft Trubisky No. 2 overall after the quarterback passed for 3,748 yards and 30 touchdowns in 13 starts for North Carolina last season.</s>The Chicago Bears open training camp on July 26 at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois. Here’s a closer look at the Bears' camp:

Top storyline: There are really only two major storylines for the Bears in 2017. The first involves embattled head coach John Fox, whose record in Chicago is 9-23. Will the Bears fire Fox during or after the season? The second storyline pertains to rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, whom Chicago drafted No. 2 overall in April. When will Trubisky -- the Bears' quarterback of the future -- be ready to take over the starting job? Everything else is basically window dressing. The Bears have missed the postseason nine of the past 10 years, and it will be a major upset if Chicago stays healthy and wins enough games to qualify for the playoffs this season. Chicago is still rebuilding, but you can’t properly rebuild until the head coach and starting quarterback are locked in for the foreseeable future. The Bears have a long way to go in that regard.

QB depth chart: Trubisky is the future, but right now the starting job belongs to veteran Mike Glennon, whom Bears general manager Ryan Pace guaranteed $16 million for 2017. Glennon, who took all the first-team reps in the offseason program, has been assured -- repeatedly -- that he’s the guy for now. Veteran Mark Sanchez -- guaranteed $1 million -- was the No. 2 quarterback before he suffered a knee injury prior to mandatory minicamp. Trubisky will begin camp as either the No. 2 or No. 3. Connor Shaw is the fourth quarterback on the roster. The Bears had planned to waive Shaw but decided not to when Sanchez got hurt.

Bubble watch: Veteran tight end Zach Miller is vulnerable after the Bears drafted Adam Shaheen in the second round. Miller is coming back from another foot injury and needs to have a productive and healthy camp to make the squad. Outside linebacker Lamarr Houston is scheduled to earn a base salary of $5.950 million, but he’s out of guaranteed money. That might be problematic for Houston, especially because the Bears are crowded at outside linebacker. Former first-round pick Kyle Fuller missed all of last season after a routine knee scope. The Bears spent money at cornerback in the offseason, signing Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper. Where that leaves Fuller is anyone’s guess at this point.

That rookie could start: Shaheen. The 6-foot-6, 277-pound tight end looked good in the offseason program. Chicago invested big dollars in free-agent tight end Dion Sims -- guaranteed $6 million in 2017 -- but Shaheen could give the Bears two starting-caliber tight ends. Of course, Shaheen played college ball at tiny Division II Ashland University, so he has to still prove he can do it at the NFL level when the pads go on. But so far, so good. Chicago is also high on running back Tarik Cohen, a fourth-round pick. He could spell Jordan Howard in the backfield.

Encore performance: The expectations are high for Howard, who last season finished second in the NFL in rushing yards (1,313). The amazing part about that is Howard wasn’t in great shape last season, partly because he didn’t expect to play so much. If you go back and watch the film, Howard actually left a lot of yards on the field. But he looked well-conditioned in the offseason program and should account for a large chunk of Chicago’s offense. Howard was one of only five rookies in NFL history to average at least 5.0 yards per carry on a minimum 250 rushing attempts. He also became just the fourth Bears player to rush for 1,300 yards in a season, joining Walter Payton, Matt Forte and Thomas Jones.

Now or never: The Bears have to find out whether receiver Kevin White is for real. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, White has played in just four regular-season games. After suffering two separate leg injuries (to the same leg), the Bears have no idea what to expect from White, who caught 109 balls in his final season at West Virginia. But he arrived in Chicago with limited experience running NFL-caliber routes, making all the time he’s missed even more costly. The Bears let receiver Alshon Jeffery walk away for nothing this offseason. The only way Chicago saves face after that move is for White to emerge.

For daily updates at camp, check out the Chicago Bears clubhouse page.</s>Going for Green in Lyons

By Kathleen Thurmes

If you live in Lyons, you know about bears. Often in late summer, bears venture close to town in search of high-calorie food. A few years ago, local food shortages drove bears to go searching for food in new and unusual places in town -- putting humans and bears at risk of violent confrontations, something we all want to avoid.

Needless to say, it’s understandable for people to have concerns about composting in bear country.

The thinking is that the odor of rotting melon rinds and apple cores may lure black bears to their backyards along with their slightly-less-menacing-but-still-unwelcome bandit pals, the raccoons. 

But while caution is certainly warranted, there are many Lyons residents who manage to compost successfully without disturbing bears and without having bears disturb them. As I’ve been having conversations with residents about their recycling and composting habits (along with a gaggle of brilliant and passionate local students), I’ve been hearing about various solutions.

Here are some expert suggestions I’ve gathered about to compost at home in bear country:
• Consider using worm composting in your home or garage; see www.wormwoman.com for lots of good info on worm composting.
• If you plan to make a compost pile outside, be sure to situate it as far away as possible from wooded areas
• Do not ever put meat, bones, dairy products, oil, cooked food, or unrinsed eggshells in your backyard pile.
• Keep a container of carbon-rich materials (such as shredded paper, newspaper, cardboard, hay, straw or dried leaves near your pile to layer on over anything that may cause odors.
• Bury kitchen scraps twelve inches deep or more in your pile.
• Regularly turn your pile to introduce oxygen and prevent anaerobic breakdown of materials that will cause odors.
• Coordinate with your neighbors to make sure that no one’s composting pile will attract bears into the neighborhood.

All of the Lyons residents I’ve spoken to who compost at home have found a way to do it in a convenient, accessible, clean, and critter-free way. Yes, composting in bear country may mean taking an extra step to lock the bin or to bury fruit scraps deep inside the pile, but it is possible and it goes a long way toward creating a healthy, sustainable community.

The town of Lyons is working with Eco-Cycle to become a “Green Star” Zero Waste model for other small towns to emulate. Get involved! Email Kathleen Thurmes at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and submit any questions you’d like to see answered in this column.</s>It’s hard to believe, but Bears training camp is just eight days away. And, after another offseason spent churning the roster, general manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox believe they will have better competition and a deeper roster in their third season with the team.

There will be no shortage of storylines in Bourbonnais this year, so here are 10 “things” to get you prepared for training camp:

1. Rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky is still expected to sign his contract before training camp begins. In fact, the on-going contract talks shouldn’t prevent him from reporting to Halas Hall Wednesday with the rest of the Bears rookies. There will be no holdout, which both the Bears and the quarterback have maintained all along.

Is it a little odd that Trubisky hasn’t signed yet? A little bit, but he is represented by the same agents as Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota — another No. 2 overall pick — who bargained their client’s signing bonus and offset language and didn’t come to an agreement until eight days before the team reported to training camp in 2015.

The bottom line: expect Trubisky’s deal to be officially announced in the coming week with the quarterback arriving at Olivet Nazarene University on July 26 with the rest of his teammates.

2. Inside linebacker Danny Trevathan will likely start training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. This is not a surprise given the severity of the ruptured patellar tendon he suffered in his right knee back in November. The more pressing question is whether or not Trevathan is available at all in the preseason and whether or not he’ll be ready for the team’s Week 1 opener against the Atlanta Falcons.

It is believed Trevathan is ahead of schedule in his recovery, but it has only been eight months since he suffered an injury that sometimes takes a full year to heal.

Two other PUP candidates are guard Kyle Long and running back Jeremy Langford, who are both recovering from significant ankle injuries. At a minimum, expect both players to be limited in their early activities in Bourbonnais.

Meanwhile, quarterback Mark Sanchez (knee) and wide receiver Cam Meredith (thumb) should be good to go when practices begin next week.

3. In an effort to reduce the amount of injuries that have plagued the Bears the last two seasons, the team has switched up its training camp schedule this year. No practices will begin before 11:15 a.m., a departure from the past when half of the practices started at 9:35 a.m. The Bears are putting more emphasis on rest and recovery this year, with three practices completely closed to the public because they are only going to be light walk-throughs.

But don’t assume that the coaching staff is making camp easier with the new schedule. The guess here is that padded practices will actually be tougher than in the past, which is why the extra rest is being built into the schedule. It will certainly be interesting to see what the intensity level looks like and whether or not the Bears suffer less injuries in Bourbonnais.

4. This is also why the rookies are reporting to Halas Hall a week early this year. The collective bargaining agreement allows teams to work with rookies more than veterans during the offseason and one veteran Bears player recently commented to me that he’s very happy he’s not a rookie this year because “they are working the rookies really hard.”

To be clear, the extra week of work for the rookies before camp will just be strength and conditioning work and it is designed to get them more prepared for the grind of training camp. In the past two years, many then-rookies — including Kevin White, Eddie Goldman, Leonard Floyd and Nick Kwiatkoski — missed training camp practices due to injuries or conditioning issues. This year, the team hopes their rookie class is healthier and more prepared for the significant jump they are making from college.

5. Two players to keep an eye on in training camp — and really the whole season — are left tackle Charles Leno Jr. and defensive end Akiem Hicks. Both players are in the final year of their contracts and potentially playing for big money. Hicks recently just hired Drew Rosenhaus as his agent and one has to wonder if the Bears might want to extend the defensive end before the season starts. Remember, Willie Young was given a contract extension during training camp last year. Of course, if Hicks can repeat his strong 2016 season, he could command a bigger pay day in the offseason.

As for Leno, I get the sense that the Bears are still evaluating him. Leno has been a nice surprise as a seventh round pick, but he could still stand to be more consistent overall. I believe the Bears are interested in locking the left tackle up longterm, but it will be up to Leno to earn that extension with a strong 2017 season.

6. Another player in the final year of his contract is cornerback Kyle Fuller, who enters training camp in a much different situation. Leno and Hicks are locks to the make the roster, but Fuller could be in trouble. The Bears signed free agent cornerbacks Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper in the offseason and both project to be starters, which puts Fuller in a tough spot because he has very little value as a special teamer. Fuller provides good depth at the position in case of injury, but it’s hard to be a backup in the NFL if you can’t play special teams. The Bears undoubtedly tried to shop the former No. 14 overall pick in the offseason, but there typically isn’t much of a trade market for players coming off injuries. With the roster currently at 90 players, it makes sense for the Bears to see what Fuller can do in the preseason as the cornerback should be as motivated as ever with his job on the line.

7. There were a couple of interesting Bears angles in Amazon’s “All or Nothing” series on the Los Angeles Rams. If you haven’t seen the show, I highly recommend it. It’s much better than HBO’s Hard Knocks because it focuses on an entire year and not the same old training camp stories. Also, it’s on Amazon so you can binge-watch the eight-episode series in just a few days.

While this year’s show focused on the Rams’ move to Los Angeles, there were a couple Bears nuggets in the final episode, which followed Rams general manager Les Snead at the NFL Combine and on draft night. At the Combine, Snead is shown talking to former Bears quarterback Jordan Palmer (who now trains quarterback prospects in the offseason) and Snead tells Palmer how impressed he is with tight end Adam Shaheen, who he believes will get drafted in the second round. Interestingly enough, Snead ended up drafting tight end Gerald Everett at No. 44 in the second round, one pick ahead of the Bears, who took Shaheen at No. 45.

Also caught on camera was Snead’s live reaction to the Bears’ trade for Trubisky. Snead and new head coach Sean McVay both looked stunned as the news came across that the Bears had traded up and the Rams GM immediately guessed that the trade was for Trubisky. I found this interesting because Snead also said: “They kept it quiet” and admitted that he didn’t think the Bears were taking a quarterback. By now, it’s been well documented how Ryan Pace kept the Trubisky pick a secret from everyone in the NFL, and yet, when the trade came across, Snead knew it was for Trubisky. To me, that speaks to the idea that Trubisky was the consensus No. 1 quarterback in this year’s draft, a conclusion that is easy to come by now that nearly three months have gone by and more and more teams have talked behind the scenes. We already know the Browns loved Trubisky and it is believed the Chiefs actually had Trubisky rated higher than Patrick Mahomes, who they traded up to No. 10 to grab.

“We’ve been there when we needed a QB. I never pass judgment on anyone,” Snead says on All Or Nothing.

Remember, Snead gave up two first round picks, two second round picks and two third round picks to draft Jared Goff in 2016.

We’ll end this edition of “10 Bears Things” with three bold predictions for the 2017 season:

8) Mitch Trubisky will play. Maybe it will be because of injury or because he earns the playing time, but I find it hard to believe the No. 2 overall draft pick will sit the entire season. That said, I don’t believe the Bears will rush him. Trubisky is still making a big jump from the college offense he ran at North Carolina and has a long way to go, but I believe he is ahead of where Goff was this time last year and Goff ended up starting the last seven games for the Rams.

Is Trubisky as ready as Carson Wentz was last year? No. Wentz ran a pro-style offense at North Dakota State, which made his transition to the NFL a lot easier. The (very) early returns on Trubisky are good though and I don’t believe the current gap between he and Mike Glennon is that wide. Barring injury, Glennon will be the Bears’ starting quarterback and have every opportunity to keep the job, but one way or another, I think Trubisky sees the field in 2017.

9) Adam Shaheen and Tarik Cohen will have an early impact. As long as Zach Miller stays healthy, I believe the Bears will keep him as their No. 1 tight end, but expect Shaheen to see the field and have early success. He still needs to build confidence and get more coordinated, but he has the talent to make an early impact on the Bears’ offense. A big test for Shaheen will be when the pads come out in Bourbonnais. Remember, he’s making the jump from the Division-II level, where he was bigger than his left tackle.

As for Cohen, it seems pretty apparent that the Bears already envision him as a third-down weapon. You don’t draft a 5-6 running back in fourth round unless you intend to insert him into the offense. It will also be interesting to see how Cohen fairs as a punt returner. He didn’t have much experience in that area in college, but he’s explosive with the ball in his hands and the hope is that Cohen proves to be a big upgrade in the return game, which has been severely lacking since Devin Hester left town.

10) Leonard Floyd and Cody Whitehair will be Pro Bowlers. Whitehair had a case last year and Floyd was on pace for double-digit sacks before suffering his second concussion. The injury concerns with Floyd are valid, but he looks to be more muscular and in outstanding shape as he begins his second NFL season. I believe it will be a breakout year for him. As for Whitehair, he’s already one of the best centers in the league and he’ll only get better with experience. Remember, last year was his first year at the position and he was moved there on short notice during Week 1 of the regular season.

How’s that for some Bears optimism in July? See you all in Bourbonnais next week.

Adam Hoge covers the Chicago Bears for WGN Radio and WGNRadio.com. He also co-hosts The Beat, weekends on 720 WGN. Follow him on Twitter at @AdamHoge.</s>LAKE FOREST, Ill. >> The Chicago Bears on Wednesday signed quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, their first-round draft pick and the No. 2 overall selection in April.

Trubisky gets a four-year contract worth under $30 million, with approximately $19 million to sign.

While Trubisky is considered the franchise’s quarterback of the future, despite the price the Bears paid to draft him he’s not expected to start this season.

Veteran Mike Glennon was signed in the offseason to take over for the departed Jay Cutler, and he gives the Bears time to develop Trubisky.

>> New quarterback Mike Glennon says 2017 is his year with Bears

Chicago moved up one spot in April’s draft in a trade with San Francisco, and gave up the No. 3 selection overall, plus a third- and fourth-rounder and a 2018 third-rounder. An also-ran in the NFC North, the Bears made a massive move that surprised even Glennon.

During minicamps, Trubisky acknowledged the quarterbacking situation in Chicago.

“I’m going to come out here and compete,” Trubisky said. “But we know Mike is the starter, so it’s my job to support him and make sure everything I do I can help him as well. I’m just here to be a great teammate, continue to get better and make sure the Chicago Bears are winning.”

Trubisky started all 13 games for North Carolina last season, setting single-season school records for passing yards (3,748), passing touchdowns (30) and total offense (4,056) while completing 68 percent of his passes.

“I don’t think we’re doing anything new and different here,” Fox said. “I think everybody in the league has a backup and third quarterback. I don’t know that it’s a new concept. I’d rather not make a big deal out of something I don’t think’s a big deal.”

Along with Trubisky and Glennon, the Bears have veterans Mark Sanchez and Connor Shaw on the roster.</s>Former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler won’t have to wait long to return to Soldier Field in his first season after retiring.

Fox Sports Charles Davis said Tuesday that Cutler will call the Bears home opener against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 10. He’ll work alongside Kevin Burkhardt and Charles Davis.

Kickoff for the Bears’ season opener is schedule for 12 p.m. at Soldier Field.

The Bears released Cutler in March after he spent nine seasons with the team. He announced his retirement in May and said he was joining Fox Sports as a color analyst.

Cutler’s first FOX game will be a familiar one: the Bears’ third preseason contest Aug. 27 in Nashville, Tenn., where he played for Vanderbilt and now calls home.
Vietnam pledges on ending the trafficking and farming of bears.