* When deleting an object with `--grace-period=0`, the client will begin a graceful deletion and wait until the resource is fully deleted.  To force deletion, use the `--force` flag. ([#37263](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/37263), [@smarterclayton](https://github.com/smarterclayton))

### Node Components
* Kubelet config should ignore file start with dots.

- Fix: don't use docker config cache if it's empty ([#92330](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/92330), [@andyzhangx](https://github.com/andyzhangx)) [SIG Cloud Provider]
- Fix: use force detach for azure disk ([#91948](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/91948), [@andyzhangx](https://github.com/andyzhangx)) [SIG Cloud Provider]
- Fixes a problem with 63-second or 1-second connection delays with some VXLAN-based

- Added error message "dry-run can not be used when --force is set" when dry-run and force flags are set in replace command. ([#110326](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/110326), [@ardaguclu](https://github.com/ardaguclu))

- StatefulSet controllers no longer force a resync every 30 seconds when nothing has changed. ([#75622](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/75622), [@jonsabo](https://github.com/jonsabo))

  If users experiment problems with stale connections  using HTTP1.1, they can force the previous behavior of the kubelet by setting the environment variable DISABLE_HTTP2. ([#104844](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/104844), [@aojea](https://github.com/aojea)) [SIG API Machinery, Auth and Node]

- kubectl patch now respects --local ([#67399](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/67399), [@deads2k](https://github.com/deads2k))
- kubectl: When an object can't be updated and must be deleted by force, kubectl will now recreating resources for immutable fields.([#66602](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/66602), [@dixudx](https://github.com/dixudx))

- Fixed a bug where hard evictions due to resource pressure allowed pods
  to use the full termination grace period instead of shutting down instantly. 
  This bug also affected force deleted pods. Both cases now receive a termination grace period of 1 second. ([#124063](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/124063), [@olyazavr](https://github.com/olyazavr))

* `kubectl certificate approve|deny` will not modify an already approved or denied CSR unless the `--force` flag is provided. ([#61971](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/61971), [@smarterclayton](https://github.com/smarterclayton))

- Force deleted pods may fail to terminate until the kubelet is restarted when the container runtime returns an error during termination. We have strengthened testing for runtime failures and now perform a more rigorous reconciliation to ensure static pods...

- Volumes are no longer detached from healthy nodes after 6 minutes timeout. 6 minute force-detach timeout is used only for unhealthy nodes (`node.status.conditions["Ready"] != true`). ([#110721](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/110721), [@jsafrane](https://github.com/jsafrane)) [SIG Apps]