The sun flares behind the sign marking the headquarters building for the US Department of Agriculture on April 18, 2024, in Washington, DC. J. David Ake/Getty Images

Days after announcing it was ending the government’s annual food insecurity report , the US Department of Agriculture placed about a dozen researchers, supervisors and administrators on paid administrative leave on Monday.

The employees, who include top officials with the USDA’s Economic Research Service, which produces the longstanding report, were told the reason was “unauthorized disclosure,” said Laura Dodson, vice president of American Federation of Government Employees’ Local 3403, which represents five of the workers.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the report’s cancellation on Saturday, citing people who

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