Egypt shuts down Mada Masr news site as crackdown on media grows

An Egyptian court has ordered the closure of Mada Masr, one of the country's last independent news outlets, sparking fresh criticism from U.S. lawmakers.

A court in Egypt has ordered the closure of Mada Masr. This is one of the very last news websites in the country that isn't controlled by the government. The court also hit Lina Attalah, a well-known editor there, with a heavy fine. Mada Masr has been known for reporting on tough topics that other papers in Egypt avoid. Because they dig into stories the government would rather keep quiet, they have faced constant legal trouble for years. This move has upset people in the United States. Many U.S. lawmakers are speaking out against how Egypt is treating journalists. One U.S. senator said tha…