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oil from tar sands in western Canada to a company hub in Steele City, Neb. From there, the project would link up with other pipelines operated by the company to carry oil to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast.
• President Barack Obama blocked the pipeline earlier this year, citing uncertainty over the Nebraska route -- a decision that drew fire from Republicans and industry groups.
• Calgary-based TransCanada had proposed a new route last month that would veer east around the groundwater-rich Sandhills region before looping back to the original route.
• State Department approval is needed because the $7 billion pipeline would cross a U.S. border. The department confirmed Friday the application for the new route

had been received.
• The pipeline filing came on the same day as a disappointing report on U.S. job growth. The Labor Department said employers pulled back on hiring in April for the second straight month, evidence of an economy still growing only sluggishly, though the overall jobless rate slipped to 8.1 percent as more people gave up looking for work.
• Obama is under pressure to support the pipeline from Republicans and business and labor leaders who argue it

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