* They all eventually masked up when called out for their House rules violation by Democrats…

Most House members are still wearing masks, except for a few Republicans. Ironically, they’re the same group that sent a letter to MLB teams protesting vaccination zones in stadiums because they might “stigmatize” unvaccinated people. pic.twitter.com/wsmmgldsqU

— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) May 18, 2021

* Bloomberg…

A year ago experts predicted that one-third of the restaurants in America might close in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. Chef and activist Tom Colicchio said the number of casualties could go as high as 75%.

New data from the National Restaurant Association, a Washington-based industry group, found that 90,000 restaurants across the U.S. have closed permanently or long-term. That’s less than 14% of the country’s restaurants. It’s lower than the 110,000 figure reported by the association in December, when the executive vice president for public affairs, Sean Kennedy, described the industry’s status as “an economic free fall.”

While that’s still disastrous compared with the 50,000 restaurants that shutter in a typical year, the most dire scenarios were averted thanks to such initiatives as government loans like the Paycheck Protection Program and changes in local restrictions.

* The mayor announces the return of Lollapalooza. Warning: You will not get these two minutes back…

🚨NEWS🚨 @chicagosmayor & @lollapalooza organizers are thrilled to announce that the world class festival will return to Grant Park at full capacity July 29-August 1, 2021.

Full COVID-19 vaccination or negative COVID-19 test results will be required to attend Lollapalooza. pic.twitter.com/mrG5TuXqbm

— Ryan Johnson (@Ryan_Johnson) May 18, 2021

* Tribune…

When Gov. J.B. Pritzker eased statewide mask requirements Monday, many businesses in Chicago, where the mask rule remains in place, were still scrambling to figure out how to respond to last week’s updated guidance from federal health officials.

Some businesses worried they would face more pushback from customers who took new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as permission to visit barefaced. Others were wary of prying into customers’ vaccination status.

“There was no warning, and it put us in a position where we had to plan for it immediately,” Julia Steiner, a bookseller at The Book Cellar in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood, said shortly before the governor’s announcement.

After the CDC released its guidance, The Book Cellar posted signs and messages on social media saying masks would be required until further notice. The store wanted to make sure everyone is able to browse, including kids who aren’t yet eligible for the vaccine and those with health conditions who can’t get vaccinated, Steiner said.

* Other stories…

* Constable: Are those who don’t wear masks vaccinated or … ‘the other’?: “In horror and science fiction there is the thing called ‘the other.’ Things that threaten to change us,’” explains Dann Gire, the legendary film critic and a founding director and past president of the Chicago Film Critics Association. Gire thinks this column’s premise merits four stars, but, as with some films, he might give the end result a two-star rating. “The other” can take the form of zombies, aliens, robots, insanity or just death, but there are worse things than death. “It’s much worse to be assimilated and become ‘the other,’” Gire says.

* ‘The opportunity to take a step back’: Pandemic benefits, stimulus checks give some workers time to rethink careers

* Now that younger teens can get the COVID-19 vaccine, is it a good time for them to get other shots too?