Automatic merge from submit-queue (batch tested with PRs 42973, 41582)

Improve status manager unit testing

This is designed to simplify testing logic in the status manager, and decrease reliance on syncBatch.  This is a smaller portion of #37119, and should be easier to review than that change.

It makes the following changes:
- creates convenience functions for get, update, and delete core.Action
- prefers using syncPod on elements in the podStatusChannel to using syncBatch to reduce unintended reliance on syncBatch
- combines consuming, validating, and clearing actions into single verifyActions function.  This replaces calls to testSyncBatch(), verifyActions(), and ClearActions
- changes comments in testing functions into log statements for easier debugging

@Random-Liu