- Kubeadm: the `bridge-nf-call-iptables=1` and `bridge-nf-call-ip6tables=1` preflight checks are removed since not all the network implementations require this setting, network plugins are responsible for setting this correctly depending on whether or not they connect containers to Linux bridges or use some other mechanism. ([#123464](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/123464), [@SataQi...

      - [API Machinery](#api-machinery)
      - [Apps](#apps)
      - [Auth](#auth)
      - [AWS](#aws)
      - [Azure](#azure)
      - [CLI](#cli)
      - [Lifecycle](#lifecycle)
      - [Network](#network)
      - [Node](#node)
      - [Storage](#storage)
    - [Deprecations and Removals](#deprecations-and-removals)
    - [Metrics Changes](#metrics-changes)
      - [Added metrics](#added-metrics)

* Bump GCI to gci-stable-56-9000-84-2: Fixed google-accounts-daemon breaks on GCI when network is unavailable. Fixed iptables-restore performance regression. ([#41831](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/41831), [@freehan](https://github.com/freehan))

* kubeadm: clean up exited containers and network checkpoints ([#43836](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/43836), [@yujuhong](https://github.com/yujuhong))

- Fixing issue with Winkernel Proxier - IPV6 load balancer policies are missing when service is configured with ipFamilyPolicy: RequireDualStack ([#115614](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/115614), [@princepereira](https://github.com/princepereira)) [SIG Network]

- Promote PodHostIPs condition to beta. ([#121477](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/121477), [@wzshiming](https://github.com/wzshiming)) [SIG Network and Testing]

    - [Apps](#apps)
    - [Auth](#auth)
    - [AWS](#aws)
    - [Azure](#azure)
    - [CLI](#cli)
    - [Cloud Provider](#cloud-provider)
    - [Cluster Lifecycle](#cluster-lifecycle)
    - [GCP](#gcp)
    - [Network](#network)
    - [Node](#node)
    - [Scheduling](#scheduling)
    - [Storage](#storage)
    - [Testing](#testing)
    - [VMware](#vmware)
    - [Windows](#windows)
  - [External Dependencies](#external-dependencies)

    - [Server Binaries](#server-binaries-16)
    - [Node Binaries](#node-binaries-16)
  - [**Major Themes**](#major-themes)
  - [**Action Required Before Upgrading**](#action-required-before-upgrading)
    - [Network](#network)
    - [Storage](#storage)
    - [API Machinery](#api-machinery)
    - [Controller Manager](#controller-manager)
    - [kubectl (CLI)](#kubectl-cli)
    - [kubeadm](#kubeadm)

* oidc authentication plugin: don't trim issuer URLs with trailing slashes ([#29860](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/29860), [@ericchiang](https://github.com/ericchiang))
* network/cni: Bring up the `lo` interface for rkt ([#29310](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/29310), [@euank](https://github.com/euank))