Author: AP, AP

New Zealand’s Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard hand-fed and cradled a lawmaker’s baby while he presided over a debate in parliament in Wellington. MP Tamati Coffey and husband Tim Smith’s baby boy was born last month via a surrogate. (Aug. 22)

Smithsonian’s youngest giant panda cub celebrates his 4th birthday on Thursday. (Aug. 22)

NASA scientists are in Greenland on a mission to track melting ice. Global warming is the chief culprit, but scientists want to know how this is happening. They’re aboard a research plane this week dropping probes into the ice to learn more. (Aug. 15)

Researchers are studying Helheim Glacier, one of Greenland’s many shrinking mountains of ice. Greenland’s ice has been melting for more than 20 years, but this year has been especially bad. (Aug. 20)

Dozens of air mattresses flew across a park and into a nearby pool on Saturday in Denver as people gathered for an outdoor movie screening. (Aug. 20)

An alligator expert from Florida has caught Chicago’s elusive Chance the Snapper just 36 hours after arriving in Illinois. (July 16)

A pair of sneaky penguins were found hiding in a sushi shop near Wellington train station in New Zealand. (July 17)

A pair of sneaky penguins were found hiding in a sushi shop near Wellington train station in New Zealand. (July 17)