Welcome to this pro rata, where we take just 10 minutes to get you smarter on the collision of tech, business, and politics.

I'm Dan Pramak. On today's show, Bernie versus biotech and everyone versus robocalls.

But first, Angels in Hell. So that was the title of a recent New York Times investigation into the culture at Victoria's

Secret, the multi-billion dollar women's lingerie retailer that has begun to fall on hard times.

In short, it found that Ed Razick, the former chief marketing officer of parent company

L Brands, was the subject of numerous complaints by Victoria's

secret models, including trying to kiss them and having them sit on his lap.

Razik, who also publicly said that the Victoria's Secret fashion show would never have plus size

or transgender models because the show is, quote, a fantasy, was canned, eventually last August.

But the Times reports that Lbrand's CEO, Les Wexner, eventually last August, but the Times reports that Elbran's CEO,

Les Wexner, had long been aware of the accusations and kept him around. Or as the Times wrote,

quote, two powerful men presided over an entrenched culture of misogyny, bullying, and harassment.

Why it matters is threefold. First, because obviously this is just the latest

in what seems to be an endless stream of cultural rot with an American business. Second, because

Wexner has also been in the news for his deep personal business ties to Jeffrey Epstein. And

third, really, because Victoria's Secret, even if it had none of that other stuff going on,

is an iconic brand in trouble, a mall-based specialty retailer that's being pecked at

by e-commerce upstarts with very different marketing sensibilities.

In fact, a private equity firm called Sycamore Partners, which recently bought Staples,

has been in talks to acquire a majority

state NL brands, after which it would likely shut lots of stores and install its own CEO.

The bottom line, the angels may have been in hell, but the overall company seems to be in limbo.

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