News of the Strange, weird, odd, and funny from Raleigh, North Carolina, and around the country. 

Strange News

CHICAGO (AP) — The “rat hole” is gone.

Chicago's 'rat hole' removed after city determines sidewalk with animal impression was damaged

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2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition

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Cicadas are so noisy in a South Carolina county that residents are calling the police

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The first glow-in-the-dark animals may have been ancient corals deep in the ocean

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Alligator on runway at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida captured, released into nearby river

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PARIS (AP) — Paris has a new king of the crusty baguette.

Paris crowns a new king of the crusty baguette in its annual bread-baking prize

When Danish police pulled a woman over, she locked herself in her car and refused to talk

Martian skies over Athens? Greece's capital turns an orange hue with dust clouds from North Africa

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A coffee roastery in Finland has launched an AI-generated blend. The results were surprising

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A cat was shipped over 600 miles after it snuck into a package a Utah couple was returning through Amazon.

Cat accidentally shipped to Amazon facility in California, couple says

A grandmother was arrested on Thursday, April 18 after she allegedly helped her granddaughter beat up another student at a Mt. Morris Township elementary school.

Grandmother arrested after allegedly helping granddaughter beat up student

Police car crime scene night

The sound of a vehicle backfiring spooked a circus elephant while she was getting a pre-show bath in Butte, Montana, leading the pachyderm to break through a fence and take a brief walk, stopping noontime traffic on the city's busiest street before being loaded back into a trailer.

A vehicle backfiring startled a circus elephant into a Montana street. She still performed Tuesday

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The one thing 9-year-old Cal Clifford wanted more than anything since he was a toddler was a pet octopus.

A 9-year-old boy's dream of a pet octopus is a sensation as thousands follow Terrance's story online

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DENVER (AP) — A couple who owned a Colorado funeral home where authorities last year discovered 190 decaying bodies were indicted on federal charges that they misspent nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief funds on vacations, cosmetic surgery, jewelry and other personal expenses, according to court documents unsealed Monday.

Owners of a Colorado funeral home where 190 decaying bodies were found are charged with COVID fraud

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The man formerly known as Dustin Bey said his mission is to neutralize the nonsense of the presidential race.

Texas man changes name to Literally Anybody Else to run for president

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A dog meant to board an Alaska Airlines flight was reunited with his owner days after escaping during the loading process at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.



Dog escapes Seattle-bound flight at RDU, reunited with owner

Dog that escaped Alaska Airlines flight at RDU now reunited with owner

The rare find is "probably the earliest" example of lipstick to be scientifically documented and analyzed, the researchers reported in February in the journal Scientific Reports.

4,000-year-old vial contains ancient red lipstick, archaeologists say

Ancient red lipstick Iran

A restaurant in San Francisco's Mission District is catching attention online after bumping the price of it's signature burrito from $11 to $22. The owner says it's not an attempt to make more, but an attempt to break even as prices for everything else rise.

San Francisco restaurant selling $22 burrito

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(CNN) -- There are constant reminders in our everyday surroundings of the many chapters of life that have unfolded on Earth.

Elephant stem cells created in a lab for the first time could help bring back the mammoth

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Priced out of the housing market … why not buy a home on Amazon?! 5 On Your Side looks at the hidden costs and regulations behind the housing trend.  Can kit homes actually save you money?


On WRAL at 6: Tiny homes for sale online! 🏠 5 On Your Side looks at the hidden costs and regulations behind the housing trend.

Have you noticed an unusual smell or flavor in your tap water over the past few days?

What's wrong with Raleigh tap water? Algae bloom at Falls Lake behind the smell, color

'Earthy and musty:' Here's why your tap water may taste strange this weekend in Raleigh

Homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods, so purchasing separate flood insurance is crucial in North Carolina, especially in high-risk areas.