*   Relative paths in the Kubelet's local config files (`--init-config-dir`) will now be resolved relative to the location of the containing files. ([#55648](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/55648),[ @mtaufen](https://github.com/mtaufen))

* Prevent AWS Network Load Balancer security groups ingress rules to be deleted by ensuring target groups are tagged. ([#73594](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/73594), [@masterzen](https://github.com/masterzen))
* kubelet: resolved hang/timeout issues when running large numbers of pods with unique configmap/secret references ([#74755](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/74755), [@liggitt](https://github.com/liggitt))

- Resolved a performance issue in the node authorizer index maintenance. ([#87693](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/87693), [@liggitt](https://github.com/liggitt)) [SIG Auth]

- Resolves bottleneck in internal API server communication that can cause increased goroutines and degrade API Server performance ([#80465](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/80465), [@answer1991](https://github.com/answer1991))

- Kube-apiserver: Resolved an issue causing unnecessary warning log messages about enabled alpha APIs during API server startup. ([#135327](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/135327), [@michaelasp](https://github.com/michaelasp))

- Kube-apiserver: resolved a regression that treated `304 Not Modified` responses from aggregated API servers as internal errors ([#112529](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/112529), [@liggitt](https://github.com/liggitt)) [SIG API Machinery]

- Fixed a test failure in `TestSetVolumeOwnershipOwner` for `fsGroup=3000` and
  symlink cases in `volume_linux_test.go`. The tests were failing due to invalid
  ownership verification and the issue has been resolved by adjusting file

- Kube-apiserver: resolved a regression that treated `304 Not Modified` responses from aggregated API servers as internal errors. ([#112526](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/112526), [@liggitt](https://github.com/liggitt))

- Set a low `oom_score_adj` for containers in pods with system-critical priorities ([#73758](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/73758), [@sjenning](https://github.com/sjenning))
- kubelet: Resolved hang/timeout issues when running large numbers of pods with unique `ConfigMap/Secret` references ([#74755](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/74755), [@liggitt](https://github.com/liggitt))

* fix get azure accounts timeout issue when there is no out-bound IP ([#74191](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/74191), [@andyzhangx](https://github.com/andyzhangx))
* kubelet: resolved hang/timeout issues when running large numbers of pods with unique configmap/secret references ([#74755](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/74755), [@liggitt](https://github.com/liggitt))