For 25 years, Jeanne had an immeasurable impact in helping ramp up America's response to this epidemic.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama Signs Ryan White HIV/AIDS Act

That would include individuals who earn millions of dollars a year, even though they would be less likely to ramp up their spending in response.

WSJ: Package Would Give Obama Stealthy Stimulus

Furthermore, because power plants such as coal and nuclear require many hours to either ramp up or down in response to demand shifts, natural gas plants are preferred because they can be turned up or down in a matter of minutes This has implications for both power costs, and for system reliability.

FORBES: Electricity and Gas Markets Are Out Of Synch: Sooner or Later, This Will Hurt Us

That's happening even as banks cut debit card rewards programs and ramp up incentives to use credit cards in response to a law that kicked in Oct. 1.

WSJ: MasterCard takes $495M charge to cover fee suit