U.S. News & World Report handed Massachusetts bragging rights Tuesday. In the publication’s first-ever national ranking of the 50 states, Massachusetts came out as “best,” boosted by strength in education and health care. Governor Charlie Baker, up for reelection next year, ran with the news, eagerly (and wonkily) trumpeting Massachusetts’ virtues on national television. “We have a lot of really smart people, we have a lot of great schools,” Baker said on CBS. “That has led to a whole series of terrific what I would call ‘ecosystems’ around technology and health care and finance and education. And you put it all together, and in this day and age, in this kind of global economy and global world we live in, it’s a terrific mix.” Read more about Massachusetts ranking as “best” state >>