- Kube-apiserver: the `--master-count` flag and `--endpoint-reconciler-type=master-count` reconciler are deprecated in favor of the lease reconciler ([#108062](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/108062), [@aojea](https://github.com/aojea))

- `kubeproxy_conntrack_reconciler_deleted_entries_total` metric can be used to track cumulative sum of conntrack flows cleared by reconciler. ([#130204](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/130204), [@aroradaman](https://github.com/aroradaman))

- Updated CNI plugins to v1.7.1 ([#131602](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/131602), [@adrianmoisey](https://github.com/adrianmoisey)) [SIG Cloud Provider, Node and Testing]
- Updated `conntrack` reconciler to consider a Service’s target port during cleanup of stale flow entries. ([#130542](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/130542), [@aroradaman](https://github.com/aroradaman))

- New staging repo has been created for the `EndpointSlice` reconciler. ([#118953](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/118953), [@mskrocki](https://github.com/mskrocki))

    * - clusters moving from IPv4 to duakstack will require no changes
    * - clusters moving from IPv6 (while not seen in the wild, we can not rule out their existence) to dualstack will require deleting backend pools (the reconciler will take care of creating correct backendpools)
* Promotes VolumePVCDataSource (Cloning) feature to beta for 1.16 release  ([#81792](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/81792), [@j-griffith](https://github.com/j-griffith))

### Bug or Regression

- Fix endpoint reconciler not being able to delete the apiserver lease on shutdown ([#114153](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/114153), [@aojea](https://github.com/aojea)) [SIG API Machinery]

- Fix endpoint reconciler not being able to delete the apiserver lease on shutdown ([#114137](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/114137), [@aojea](https://github.com/aojea)) [SIG API Machinery]

## Changelog since v1.26.0-rc.0

## Changes by Kind

### Bug or Regression

- Fix endpoint reconciler not being able to delete the apiserver lease on shutdown ([#114122](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/114122), [@aojea](https://github.com/aojea)) [SIG API Machinery]

   ([#123273](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/123273), [@mimowo](https://github.com/mimowo))
- Added alpha-level support for the SuccessPolicy in Jobs.

- Fixed the bug where if Endpointslices mirrored from Endpoints by the EndpointSliceMirroring controller they would not reconcile if modified. were not reconciled if modified ([#124131](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/124131), [@zyjhtangtang](https://github.com/zyjhtangtang)) [SIG Apps and Network]