* Add a new feature gate for enabling an alpha annotation which, if present, excludes the annotated node from being added to a service load balancers. ([#54644](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/54644), [@brendandburns](https://github.com/brendandburns))

### Other (Cleanup or Flake)
 - base-images: Use debian-base:v2.1.0 (includes CVE fixes)
  - base-images: Use debian-iptables:v12.1.0 (includes CVE fixes) ([#90863](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/90863), [@justaugustus](https://github.com/justaugustus)) [SIG API Machinery, Cluster Lifecycle and Release]

## Dependencies

- Messages of `DisruptionTarget` condition now excludes preemptor pod metadata ([#114914](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/114914), [@mimowo](https://github.com/mimowo))

- Kubeadm: apply the "node.kubernetes.io/exclude-from-external-load-balancers" label on control plane nodes during "init", "join" and "upgrade" to preserve backwards compatibility with the lagacy LB mode where nodes labeled as "master" where excluded. To opt-out you can remove the label from a node. See #97543 and the linked KEP for more details. ([#98269](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/98269),...

### Azure

Kubernetes 1.10 includes alpha [Azure support for cluster-autoscaler](https://github.com/kubernetes/enhancements/issues/514), as well as [support for Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets](https://github.com/kubernetes/enhancements/issues/513).

### CLI

* Add a new feature gate for enabling an alpha annotation which, if present, excludes the annotated node from being added to a service load balancers. ([#54644](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/54644), [@brendandburns](https://github.com/brendandburns))

- Kubernetes 1.12 includes a large number of metadata agent improvements, including expanding the metadata agent's access to all API groups and removing metadata agent config maps in favor of command line flags. It also includes improvements to the logging agent, such as multiple fixes and adjustments.

* Kubeadm now includes CoreDNS version 1.6.5 ([#85109](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/85109), [@rajansandeep](https://github.com/rajansandeep))
    *  - `kubernetes` plugin adds metrics to measure kubernetes control plane latency.
    *  -  the `health` plugin now includes the `lameduck` option by default, which waits for a duration before shutting down.

- Revised the logic for DaemonSet rolling update to exclude nodes if scheduling constraints are not met.

### SIG Azure

* The Azure cloud provider now supports standard SKU load balancer and public IP.
`excludeMasterFromStandardLB` defaults to true, which means master nodes are excluded from the standard load balancer. Also note that because all nodes (except master) are added as loadbalancer backends, the standard load balancer doesn't work with the `service.beta.kubernetes.io/azure-load-balancer-mode` annotation.