Farmers’ loyalty to Trump tested over new corn-ethanol rules

LACONA, Iowa (AP) — When President Donald Trump ordered tariffs on China that scrambled global grain markets, many U.S. farmers were willing to absorb the financial hit.
But the patience of Midwest farmers with a president they mostly supported in 2016 is being newly tested.
The administration has now granted waivers to 31 more oil refineries so they don’t have to blend ethanol into their gasoline. Given that roughly 40% of U.S. corn is processed into ethanol, that’s a fresh bl