### Feature

- A `system-cluster-critical` pod should not get a low OOM Score. 
  

- Vendor: updated system-validators to v1.9.0. ([#128149](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/128149), [@neolit123](https://github.com/neolit123)) [SIG Cluster Lifecycle and Node]
- Vendor: updated system-validators to v1.9.1. ([#128533](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/128533), [@neolit123](https://github.com/neolit123))

- Migrated the StatefulSet controller (within `kube-controller-manager`) to use [contextual logging](https://k8s.io/docs/concepts/cluster-administration/system-logs/#contextual-logging) ([#113840](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/113840),...

* The `system-node-critical` and `system-cluster-critical` priority classes are now limited to the `kube-system` namespace by the `PodPriority` admission plugin. ([#65593](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/65593), [@bsalamat](https://github.com/bsalamat))

### Other notable changes

* All pods with priorityClassName system-node-critical and system-cluster-critical will be critical pods while preserving backwards compatibility. ([#58835](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/58835), [@ravisantoshgudimetla](https://github.com/ravisantoshgudimetla))

- The `SystemdWatchdog` feature gate has been locked to default and will be removed in future release. The systemd watchdog functionality in `kubelet` can be enabled via systemd without any feature gate configuration. See the [systemd watchdog documentation](https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/node/systemd-watchdog/) for more information. ([#134691](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/134691), [@SergeyKanzhelev](https://github.com/SergeyKanzhelev))...

swiss

// sydney : State of New South Wales, Department of Premier and Cabinet
// https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/sydney.html
sydney

// systems : Binky Moon, LLC
// https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/systems.html
systems

// tab : Tabcorp Holdings Limited
// https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/tab.html
tab

// taipei : Taipei City Government

- The `system-node-critical` and `system-cluster-critical` priority classes are now limited to the `kube-system` namespace by the `PodPriority` admission plugin (matching changes in 1.11.1+). ([#65593](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/65593), [@bsalamat](https://github.com/bsalamat)) Courtesy of...

- Fixed occasional pod cgroup freeze when using cgroup v1 and systemd driver.

- A new kubelet command line option, `--reserved-cpus`, is introduced to explicitly define the CPU list that will be reserved for system. For example, if `--reserved-cpus=0,1,2,3` is specified, then cpu 0,1,2,3 will be reserved for the system.  On a system with 24 CPUs, the user may specify `isolcpus=4-23` for the kernel option and use CPU 4-23 for the user containers. ([#83592](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/83592), [@jianz...