- Component-base/logs: when compiled with Go >= 1.21, component-base will automatically configure the slog default logger together with initializing klog. ([#120696](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/120696), [@pohly](https://github.com/pohly)) [SIG API Machinery, Architecture, Auth, CLI, Cloud Provider, Cluster Lifecycle, Instrumentation, Network, Storage and Testing]

### Bug or Regression

- Avoid GCE API calls when initializing GCE CloudProvider for Kubelets.

* Fix cloud-controller-manager crash when using AWS provider and PersistentVolume initializing controller  ([#70432](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/70432), [@mvladev](https://github.com/mvladev))

- Prevent Kubelet stuck in `DiskPressure` when `imagefs.minReclaim` is set ([#99095](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/99095), [@maxlaverse](https://github.com/maxlaverse))
- Reduces delay initializing on non-AWS platforms docker runtime. ([#93260](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/93260), [@nckturner](https://github.com/nckturner)) [SIG Cloud Provider]

### Bug or Regression

- Avoid GCE API calls when initializing GCE CloudProvider for Kubelets.

* Fix cloud-controller-manager crash when using OpenStack provider and PersistentVolume initializing controller   ([#70459](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/70459), [@mvladev](https://github.com/mvladev))

    * Support kube-master-url flag without kubeconfig

    * Fix concurrent R/Ws in dns.go

    * Fix confusing logging when initializing server

    * Support specifying port number for nameserver in stubDomains

- Updated the sample-apiserver manifest example to include correct RBAC configurations. ([#123479](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/123479), [@Jefftree](https://github.com/Jefftree))

- Fixed a regression since 1.27.0 in scheduler framework when running score plugins. 
  The `skippedScorePlugins` number might be greater than `enabledScorePlugins`, 
  so when initializing a slice the cap(len(skippedScorePlugins) - len(enabledScorePlugins)) is negative, 
  which is not allowed. ([#121667](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/121667), [@kerthcet](https://github.com/kerthcet)) [SIG Scheduling]